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THE MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 



THE MAKING OF 
A FLOWER GARDEN 



BY 

IDA D. BENNETT 

Author of "The Flower Garden," ''The Vegetable Garden,'' etc. 



WITH FOUR DIAGRA^fS AND SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS 
FROM PHOTOGRAPHS 




NEW YORK 

FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 






Copyright, 1919, by 
Fbederick a. Stokes Company 



All Rights Reserved 



uLl -8 ^^'i:^ 



S)0IA535171 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER^ PAGE 

I. The Location — with Plans ... 1 

II. Soil and Fertilizers 15 

III. Hotbeds 21 

IV. Coldframes, Flats, and Open Ground 

Planting 37 

V. The Annual Garden — with Table of 

Annuals . , 48 

VI. Bedding Plants from Seed ... 58 

VII . Bulbs for Summer Blooming ... 65 

VIII. Plants for Various Situations . . 82 

IX. The Amateur's Rose Garden . . . 101 

X. Window and Porch Boxes . . . 109 

XI. Vines for Every Place .... 116 

XII. The Rock Garden 129 

XIII. The Water Garden 135 

XIV. The Old-fashioned Garden . . . 145 
XV. Hardy Shrubs and Trees .... 156 

XVI. The Hardy Lily Bed 173 

XVII. .Bulbs for Fall Planting . . . . 179 

XVIII. Fall Work in the Garden ... 185 

XIX. Winter Protection 192 

V 



vi CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XX. Plant Enemies and Insecticides . . 208 

XXI. The Value of a Definite Color 
Scheme in the Garden; a White, a 
Red, a Yellow and a Blue Garden, 
WITH Table of Plants .... 215 

XXII. Bird Houses, Natatoriums and Feed- 
ing Stations 226 

Table of Germination of Seeds . . 242 

Index 245 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

A small garden full of variety and charm Frontispiece^ 



FACING 
FAOB 



Does this look like a promising garden spot? . 16 

The result of a flower lover's work in one year . 16 

As a low hedge plant the hydrangea panic ulata is 

unexcelled 17 

A lovely mass of heliotrope, ageratum and 

tritomas 48 

A successful treatment of a triangular space 

between drives 49 

Red and white tulips used as a border for shrub- 
bery 74* 

A wide border of hyacinths and pansies . . . 75^ 

A small back yard devoted to roses .... 102^ 

A rose arch is a most effective support for climb- 
ing roses 103' 

A thrifty window box two months after planting. 124' ' 

Vines effectively used as porch decoration . . 125 

Funkia overhanging a pool planted with water 

poppies 142 

Iris used as a border for a pond 143 

A hardy border of larkspur and hollyhocks . . 152 

Foxglove planted against a background of shrub- 
bery 153 

vii 



THE MAKING OF A 
FLOWER GARDEN 



CHAPTER I 



THE LOCATION 



Whknt one takes up the subject of the location of a 
garden one has to consider at tlie start just what ad- 
vantages are afforded by the piece of ground com- 
prising one's special domain. If it consists merely 
of a city lot with its few feet of turf in front and a 
few square yards of wall-enclosed back yard, the prob- 
lem will be the simple one of making that little patch 
of ground as attractive and prolific of bloom and 
beauty as possible ; and there are harder problems by 
far than this, though an undeveloped city back yard 
may look hopeless enough to the uninitiated. The 
small town lot affords greater advantages, as there is 
usually considerable space at the side or rear of the 
dwelling to allow of mass planting about boundaries 
and often of the laying out of a more or less formal 

1 



2 I\IAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

garden at one side. This is, of all, the happiest ar- 
rangement — that the garden shall he so situated as 
to be visible from the liA'ing-room windows, especially 
from those occupied by the busy mistress of the home. 
Usually the home is built and the garden added as an 
afterthought; this often results in an unfortunate 
placing, both from a practical and an aesthetic point 
of view. That the garden should be sufficiently retired 
from the street to insure priA-acy, and at the same 
time close enough to the house to become an intimate 
part of the life of the home, goes without saying. And 
this is only secured when the garden comes to us, 
through vistas opened by the friendly windows, so 
that one may pause from time to time in the day's 
employment to enjoy its beauty or run out for a mo- 
ment or two's work among the flowers. A garden 
that takes one far from the house will not receive 
the constant intimate attention that is the heritage 
of the one where odd moments are utilized ; one plans 
for spare hours in the one, for spare moments in the 
other. 

The plans illustrated, while by no means the last 
word in garden arrangement, should be helpful in 
planning the small place garden or the arrangement 
of a city lot. 

In Plan A the house is centrally located on the lot 
and both a flower and a vegetable garden are arranged 
for, with considerable planting of shrubbery about the 



THE LOCATION 3 

base of tlie house and an inviting circle of turf in 
front of the rear door. 

The radiating beds of the flower garden are excep- 
tionally favorable where one wishes to grow a great 
variety of flowers and shrubs in a restricted area, as 
low-growing perennials and annuals may occupy the 
fore part of the beds and larger growths be gradually 
introduced as the beds recede until, in the rear, they 
give place to tall shrubs or small ornamental trees. 
This form of planting greatly increases the apparent 
extent of the grounds and also serves as a screen for 
unsightly objects in the rear. The long, straight paths 
make the care of the beds a simple affair and the 
number of beds and paths may be regulated accord- 
ing to the ground at command. 

A beautiful arrangement of the planting would be 
to run a triple row of tulips, hyacinths or narcissi 
along the edges of all the beds and sow English daisy 
seed, pansies, ageratums or other low-growing plants 
among them to cover the ground when they are 
through blooming. On the less sunny borders the 
lobelias would be beautiful, as would the dwarf morn- 
ing glories which remain open all day. The tufted 
pansies are permanent and beautiful border plants, 
especially the yellow ones, and one can compose very 
artistic color schemes by using flowers that harmonize 
with the edging plants in the different beds. 

Plan B is a much more formal laying out of a city 



PLAN A 



Base Planting About House Bloom 

A. Spiraea Van Houttei May 

B. Bocconia 7uly-Aug. 

C. Hydrangea paniculata Aug.-Sept/ 

BEDil 

D. Paeonies June 

E. Shasta Daisies July 

F. Gladioli Aug.-Sept. 
X. Auratum and Candidum 

Lilies June-July 



Height Color 

4' -5' White 

5' -8' Flesh color 

5' White 



18" -2' White, pink.red 
18" -2' White 
2' -3' Various colors 



3' -5' White 



BED 2 

G. Asters 

H. Nicotiana aflSnis 

I . Sahdaa 

J . Forsythias 

K. Tamarix 

BEDS 

L. German Iris 

M. Foxgloves 



July-Sept. 

Aug.-Sept. 

Aug.-Sept. 

May 

May-Sept. 



May-June 
June-July 



N. Deutzia (Pride of Rochester) June 

BED 4 

O. Anthericums May 

P. Aquilegias June 

Q. Delphiniums (Gold Medal June-July 

^Hybrids) 

R. Buddleia variabilis July. 



18" -2' Various colors 

2' -3' White.rose.etc. 

2' -5' Scarlet 

8' Yellow 

8'-12' Pink 



2' -3' All colors 
2' -4' White, rose, 

purple 
6' -8' White 



18" -2' White 

2' All colors 

2' -6' Blue, white 

6' Violet 



PLAN B 



Bl,OOM 

B. Pool infeardcn; plant Water June-frost 

Lilies 
X. Trellia in rear— Ampelopsis June-froat 

tricolor 
XX. Side trellises— Clematis Aug.-Sept. 

panicxilata 



Height Color 

Pink, yellow, 
white 
Trailing Blue berries 



15' 



White 



Sunny side of garden; 

A. Ageratum 

B. Delphiniums 

C. Auratura and Candidum 
Lilies 

D. Tritomas 

E. Feverfew 

F. Asters 

G. Lychnis and Garden Spiraea 
H. Physostegia 
I . Clethra alnifolia 
J . Chionanthus 
K. Altheas 

Shady side of garden; 

A. Funkias 

B. Azaleas 

C. Rhododendrons 

D. Hydrangea arborescens 

E. Salvias 

F. Nicotiana sylvestris 

G. Dogwood 
H. Cercis Canadensis (Judas 

Tree) 

Pots on steps of porch; Chinese ELibiscus in variety, or Bambusa Metake may 
be used. 



All summer 


6" 


Blue 


July-Aug. 


3' -6' 


Blue, white 


June-July 


3' -4' 


White, red 
spots 


Aug.-frost 


2' -3' 


Flame color 


July 


2' 


White 


July-Sept. 


15"-18" 


Blue, white, red 


July 


2' -3' 


Scarlet 


Mid-summer 


4' -6' 


White, pink 


July-Aug. 


3' -5' 


White 


May-June 


Tree 


White 


September 


Tree 


White, red, etc. 


Aug.-Sept. 


2' 


White 


June 


2' -4' 


Red, white 


June 


2' -8' 


Red, white 


June 


4' -6' 


White 


Aug.-Sept. 


2' -5' 


Scarlet 


All summer 


4' -6' 


White 


May 


Tree 


White 


April 


5' 


Rose color 



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Plan B 

7 



8 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

back yard, where utility is not so mucli considered 
as artistic effect. By using brick or stone division 
walls, cement walks and the like, considerable outlay 
may be indulged in, but the result will be permanent 
and satisfying. A very artistic effect may be achieved 
however, by the use of wooden trellises painted white, 
gravel or cinder paths and garden seats of wood. If a 
pool in the center is adopted it should be of concrete. 
Where this is not desired a rustic summer house may 
be substituted or a fountain or even a round garden 
seat, or a beautiful tree. 

Plan C with its accompanying table of planting is 
happily arranged at the side of the house, so fully in 
view from the windows of the living room and from 
the porch as to form an integral part of the whole. 
If a pergola outlines the half circle which characterizes 
the beginning of the garden it will form one more 
note in the symphony of the whole, or, if the porch 
is extended to cover the entire area between house 
and garden with steps leading to each separate path, 
rather than one broad series of steps, the result will 
be quaint and harmonious. 

Much attention has been paid in this design to the 
working out of a color scheme for the several beds, 
and careful attention to the harmony of adjacent beds. 
The same idea may be worked out in plans A and D. 
In this plan, as in A, the beds should all be edged with 



THE LOCATION 9 

early spring flowering bulbs and later with blooming 
annuals or flowers of low growth. 

Plan D is an especially interesting plan for a for- 
mal garden, designed without special reference to the 
house, though it may be arranged quite as intimately 
as any of the others. Its special claim to preference 
lies in the fact that it may be extended from the 
small quarter of a circle, designed to fit into an odd 
bit of ground, to a half and even a whole circle, thus 
making an imposing formal garden. Like all the 
plans, consideration is given to the planting of low 
forms of flowers in the immediate foreground, pansies 
being especially suggested for the encircling outer 
beds, though verbenas or nasturtiums may be used 
where a more brilliant color scheme is desired. "Where 
the quarter or half circle is used, then tall perennials, 
shrubs and the like may be employed in the rear and 
in the straight beds which border the design; but 
when the complete circle is adopted, then it will be 
best to keep the height of the entire planting rather 
uniform so as to have more the effect of carpet bed- 
ding. It is charmingly adapted to a rose garden and. 
if desired, the central beds may be devoted to rose 
trees rather than to the lower growths. 

For the practical care of a garden there is nothing 
so good as clean, well-cared for gravel or cinder paths, 
especially if some sort of curbing is used to confine the 
beds. Bricks laid in the old-fashioned saw-tooth pat- 



PLAN C 

3looom 



Border with red and white tulips 

BED 5.— Rose and White Shades 

A. Pseonies June 

B. Candiduni Lilies June 

C. Auratum Lilies July 

E. Gladioli Aug.-Sept. 



Height 



COLOB 



BED 1.— Blue and Whithj 








A. Ageratum 


All summer 


6" 


Blue 


B. Hehotrope 


All summer 


12" 


Violet 


C. Aquilegias 


June 


18" 


Blue, white 


D. Delphiniums (Gold Medal 
Hybrids) 

E. Buddleias 


July-fall 


2' -5' 


Blue, white 


All summer 


6' 


Violet 


F. Hyacinths, KingoftheBlues 


May 


9" 


Blue 


BED 2.— Yellow and White 








A. Sweet Alyssum 


All summer 


6" 


White 


B. Anthericums 


May 


18" 


White 


C. Anemones 


Sept.-Oct. 


18" 


White 


D. Bachelor Buttons, double 


July 


18" 


Blue 


E. Coreopsis, dwarf 


July-Sept. 


12" 


Yellow 


F. Lemon Lilies 


June-July 


18" 


Yellow 


G. Kerria 


May 


3' -5' 


Yellow 


H. Forsythia 


April 


3' -5' 


Yellow 


Border with triple rows of yellow.tulips 






BED 3.— Scarlet and White 








A. Candytuft 


All summer 


9" 


White, red 


B. Verbenas 


All summer 


12" 


Scarlet 


C. Shasta Daisies 


July 


18" 


White 


D. Scarlet Lychnis 


July 


2' -3' 


Scarlet 


E. Nicotiana affinis 


All summer 


2' -3' 


White 


F. Salvias 


July on 


2' -4' 


Scarlet 


G. Spiraea Van Houttei 


June 


5'- 6' 


White 


H. Altheas 


Sept. 


12' 


White, red 


Border with scarlet and white tulips 






BED 4.— Rose and White Shades 






A. English Daisy 


All summer 


4" -6" 


Red, rose 


B. Petunias, large flowered 


All summer 


Trailing 


Red, white 


C. Vincas 


All summer 


15" 


Red, white 


D. Scabiosa 


June-July 


18"-24" 


Red, white 


E. Weigelia 


May-June 


5' 


Rose, white 



18" Red. white 

2' -3' White 

3' -5' White, red 

3' All colors 



Aix>NG drive and about foundation of house, garage, etc. 

1. Hjrpericum Moserianum July 1' Yellow 

2. Spiraea Van Houttei May 4' White 

3. Deutzia (Pride of Rochester) June 6' White 

4. Altheas Sept.-Oct. 6' -12' Rose, white 

5. Tamarix in variety May, June, Sept. 6' -12' Shades of rose 

This is a very interesting planting, as the carrying out of the color scheme ia 
each bed gives opportunity for study and research, resulting in much en- 
joyable knowledge. 



10 



PLAN C 







Plan C 
11 



PLAN D 

This plan is adapted to an irregular piece of ground and is 
especially suited to growing annuals and low-growing plants in 
the formal beds with tall-growing perennials or shrubbery in the 
borders at the rear. It will also develop satisfactorily as a plan 
for a rose garden in which case the central bed may be planted 
to tree roses or utilized for a rose arbor and in place of the 
shrubbery in the rear, rose trellises for such climbing roses as 
Mrs. Robert Peary, Climbing Meteor, Dr. Van Fleet and the 
like may be substituted. 

When used for growing annuals or other plants the central bed 
is designed for a cement lily-pool, or it may be planted to flowers, 
but the pool is much to be preferred. Where sufficient ground 
is at command the design may be repeated by laying out a 
similar series of beds on the far side of the shrubbery border. 
This gives a half circle and is a very attractive arrangement. The 
shrubbery in this case may be planted to paeonies, with good 
effect, especially if interspersed with quantities of hardy hlies. 
Boxes of small evergreens or box, placed at the intersection of 
the paths will be very ornamental. 



12 



U MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

tern, with brick paths between, are altogether charm- 
ing in the old-fashioned hardy garden; especially is 
this true where the enclosing walls are of brick. Paths 
made from sifted coal ashes, the rough part used as 
foundation and the white fine ash for surface, are 
economical, easily cared for and most comfortable to 
work on — qualities not possessed by brick, cement or 
gravel. Where the garden is enclosed by a wooden 
fence of artistic design, painted white, narrow boards 
also painted white may be used to enclose the beds 
and will be quaint and old-timey. Whatever the curb- 
ing and walls or fences are, the garden accessories 
should correspond. Brick walls and paths will neces- 
sitate garden seats of wood which may be painted a 
brick red ; cement walls call for cement benches, urns, 
etc., while the artistic wooden fence is best supple- 
mented with garden seats, arches and trellises of wood 
painted white. 



CHAPTER II 



SOIL AND FERTILIZERS 



Like the making of a garment, the making of a 
garden is largely a matter of material and style. But 
while the material of which our garments shall he 
composed is largely a matter of choice and taste, in 
the making of a garden we must deal with such ma- 
terial of soil, location and exposure as the good or 
bad of our environment supplies. Fortunately there 
is very little in the way of soil that cannot, by proper 
handling, be induced to respond to culture. I like to 
think that soil and plants are sentient things, feeling 
our moods and characteristics much as animals and 
humans do. If we deal with them generously and 
sympathetically, they will respond in kind, but the 
gardener niggardly in care, giving food and seed 
and moisture with a selfish hand, will reap a barren 
harvest. 

The only soil really unfit for cultivation is one of 
hard pan. Where this occurs there is really nothing 
that can be done except to remove it bodily and fill 
in the excavation with the best soil procurable. A 

15 



16 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

clay soil, on the contrary, is excellent for a rose gar- 
den when lightened with well-decayed manure and a 
proportion of leaf mold and sand ; such a soil may need 
underdrainage of tile or of broken stone and the like, 
but will not be lacking in fertility. 

A too sandy and light soil may be remedied by the 
addition of manure and leaf mold, or the decayed 
earth from the compost heap and from decayed sods, 
and so brought to a high degree of fertility and being 
light and warm will be in condition to work much 
earlier in the spring than the colder clay soil. Good 
loam such as produces a good crop of corn is an ex- 
cellent foundation for a garden as by the addition of 
muck and manure it may be adapted to a wide range 
of plants. 

Where a soil is in good mechanical condition, that 
is, soft and easily worked by the spade and fork, but 
seems dry and lacking in vitality, the addition of old 
well-rotted manure in the spring or fresh manure in 
the fall or late winter will put it in condition for the 
planting of most garden flowers. The proper pro- 
portion of manure is a wheelbarrow load to every 
square yard of soil. If the manure contains consider- 
able straw, this, decaying, will furnish a certain 
amount of humus which will counteract the dryness 
of the soil by retaining the moisture which a sandy 
soil allows to leach away. Sand forms a perfect 
drainage table by itself, but when combined with loam 




DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A PROMISING GARDEN SPOT? 











■'h M-^^ ' ■• 



THE RESULT OF A FLOWER LOVER'S WORK IN ONE YEAR 



SOIL AND FERTILIZERS 17 

and humus gives the warm, friable condition so neces- 
sary to successful plant growth. 

In cities it is ofttimes difficult to secure manure, 
especially old, well-rotted manure, for the garden, but 
there are few suburban or country places where it 
may not be had in abundance. Usually its place can 
be supplied from the various sources of waste fer- 
tility on the place. There are very few small town 
or suburban places in which poultry is not kept by 
many householders. Now poultrj^ manure is one of 
the best concentrated fertilizers we have; rich in 
nitrogen, free from weed-producing seeds and easily 
stored and handled. If the droppings are removed 
from the perches daily and stored in barrels, sprin- 
kling a layer of dry earth over each successive layer, 
it will be in excellent condition to apply to the ground 
in the spring. The sweepings from the floors should 
also be saved for the garden, and being mixed with a 
considerable proportion of straw or other scratch ma- 
terial may be consigned to the compost heap, together 
with all the rakings from the lawn, the refuse from 
the garden, garbage from the house — anything of a 
vegetable nature or that will decay without creating 
an objectionable odor. 

If such a compost heap is arranged in some out of 
the way corner and kept within bonds by a frame 
of boards, but open to biddy's activities, it will fur- 
nish an inexhaustible source of leaf mold or humus, 



18 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

by the use of which, and a little bone meal, one may 
garden, quite independent of the bulkier manures. 

Another source of exceptional fertility is found 
in night soil that in country places might profitably 
be returned to the soil with the advantage of greater 
fertility and better sanitation. If a trench is dug 
through a garden bed, a foot or two at a time and 
such matter deposited and covered as soon as the 
liquid portion has seeped aAvay, the result will be a 
soil that will grow anything and be in a mechanical 
condition that makes working it a recreation rather 
than a toil. One of the finest garden spots I ever saw 
was produced from indifferent soil by this meaais 
alone. 

"Where poultry manure is used as a fertilizer a 
much less quantity is required than of stable manure 
— an eight quart pail full being sufficient for a square 
yard of ground and this should be trenched in so 
that the roots of newly planted things will not come 
into direct contact with it. By trenching is meant 
the method of laying back the soil across the end of 
a bed for one spade's depth and width, filling in the 
trench thus formed with manure and throwing the 
next row of spading onto this; in this way all the 
manure is buried a spade's depth below the surface 
where it remains moist, continues to decay, and at- 
tracts the roots of the plants down into deep soil in 
search of the food it offers. Manure left too close to 



SOIL AND FERTILIZERS 19 

the surface encourages a surface growth of roots that 
are injured by drought and cultivation. 

The droppings from rabbits, Belgian hares and 
guinea pigs have the same value as the expensive 
sheep manure for which the florists charge so ex- 
travagantly and as it is easily saved and composited 
with dry earth, or simply dried by spreading out in 
the open air for a short time, it will form a well- 
worth considering source of garden fertility. Espe- 
cially is it suited to the enl'iching of window boxes 
and soil in pots. The waste water from the laundry 
and kitchen is valuable for any part of the garden, 
but seems especially acceptable to vines, which sel- 
dom are surfeited with moisture or food. 

Wood ashes are very valuable in the garden, espe- 
cially on a soil inclined to be wet, cold or sour. They 
furnish valuable potash and improve the mechani- 
cal condition of the soil; they should not, however, 
be mixed with manure, but rather be used as a sup- 
plementary addition, being applied after the ground 
is plowed or spaded and harrowed or raked in. Ap- 
plication should be made in spring rather than in 
the fall, while barnyard manure, on the contrary may 
be advantageously used in fall or early or late win- 
ter, especially if new or not well decayed. 

Bone meal is another valuable fertilizer and has the 
advantage of being always available. It does not, 
however, add humus to the soil and this should, when 



20 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

bone meal is depended upon, be supplied from the 
compost heap or other source. When using bone 
meal on beds of hardy perennials, lilies, shrubbery 
and those plants which, from the nature of their 
growth are not disturbed annually, but remain for 
several years where planted, two grades, or more, of 
bone meal should be used ; a fine meal for immediate 
result and a coarse ground bone for more permanent 
effect. Even whole bones may be buried among shrub- 
bery and small trees to advantage. 

One quart of bone meal to a square yard of ground 
may be used on strong growing plants, a pint for 
annuals, while it may be omitted entirely on such 
plants as thrive best on rather poor soil. 



CHAPTER III 



HOTBEDS 



The hdtbed is so integral a part of the garden that 
it should precede rather than follow the construction 
of the garden itself, especially if the laying out of 
this is left until spring. For, while the ground is 
still cold with the snow and frosts of winter and the 
weather offers little inducement to out-door work, the 
hotbed with its mass of hot manure, underneath its 
covering of warm, mellow earth, is pushing and coax- 
ing forward, by heat and moisture and sunshine — 
all the potent forces of the still distant summer — ^the 
tiny seeds and roots and cuttings entrusted to its 
care, so that when the beds of the garden shall finally 
have been spaded and fertilized and raked and nour- 
ished by sun and rain and drying winds into just 
the right condition to receive them, they shall be 
ready by the dozens and scores and hundreds, to re- 
spond to the call for plants and still more plants, for 
the possibilities of a packet of seeds, sown under fa- 
vorable conditions, are out of all proportion to their 
cost. Even the first cost of a really first class hotbed 

21 



^2 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

may often be met by a single season's production. 

Practically all hotbeds are the same in their work- 
ing, but there is considerable latitude in their con- 
struction, especially between the permanent construc- 
tion of one attached to a permanent home and one 
of temporary expedience. 

For a permanent hotbed there is nothing better 
than concrete and the expense of this form of con- 
struction is not great. For a small garden, including 
both flowers and vegetables, a bed three feet wide and 
fifteen long is ample. Florists make their beds much 
wider, but for the home gardener, especially the 
woman gardener, a bed three feet across is as wide 
as can be handled comfortably. The depth — whatever 
the size of the bed — will be the same, about four feet. 
In mild climates a more shallow depth will be prac- 
ticable, but in the colder parts of the country a con- 
siderable depth of manure is needed to give the neces- 
sary, continuous heat for a period of several weeks. 

The simplest way to construct a concrete hotbed is 
first to mark out on the ground where the hotbed 
is to be — a warm, southern exposure in the protection 
of a wall or building and with good natural drainage 
should be selected and as near the house as possible 
for convenience in caring for it. Next dig a narrow 
trench along this outline about four feet in depth and 
Vvith as smooth and even sides as possible. Into this 
trench a good quality of grout should be poured and 



HOTBEDS 23 

the sides paddled, to press back any large stones and 
fill any hollow places which may occur. Above the 
surface of the ground forms will be needed to shape 
the upper part of the frame which should be a foot 
high in front and two feet high in the rear, the ends 
sloping evenly from rear to front. A frame of wood 
should be fitted to the top of the concrete on which to 
rest the sash ; this may be of two-by-four or two-by- 
six and should have long spikes driven through at 
intervals of a foot to bind it to the cement wall. 
"When the cement has thoroughly hardened the inside 
of the bed may be excavated — care being taken not to 
injure the cement walls, and the walls given a finish- 
ing coat of higher grade concrete. 

If a three foot bed is constructed and the regular 
florist's sashes — three-by-six — are used, it will be 
necessary to lay them lengthwise of the beds and they 
may be arranged to slide in grooves, or if the bed is 
against a wall or building, be fastened to the frame 
with hinges which will be found very convenient when 
it must be closed quickly in case of storm or other 
emergency. Old window sashes, if well glazed and 
painted, make excellent hotbed sashes and on some 
accounts are to be preferred to the longer florist's 
sash, as they enable one to open a shorter section of 
the bed at a time, which is often desirable where a 
variety of plants grow in one bed. Florists usually 
grow but one kind of plant in a hed ; hence all require 



24 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the same conditions of air and temperature. The home 
hotbed, on the contrary, contains plants requiring a 
wide variety of conditions, and partitions between the 
more delicate and the robust, and small sashes, just 
suited to their number, will facilitate caring for them. 

Concrete has one drawback — it is cold, and I have 
noticed that the plants close to the frame do not do 
as well as those farther from its chilling influence. 
For this reason an interlining of boards, any waste 
lumber about the place, will be of much assistance in 
forwarding the growth of the plants. The lumber 
does not need to be attached to the frame, just stood 
in place around the inside of the pit. The manure 
will support the boards sufficiently and it will not be 
necessary for them to extend above the surface of the 
soil. 

If a temporary, or an inexpensive permanent hot- 
bed is desired it may be constructed from any waste 
lumber at hand. In this case the pit should be dug 
the required size and a frame constructed, using four 
two-by-fours for the corners. The two in the rear 
should be about six feet long, those for the front cor- 
ners five. On these corner posts the boards for the 
lining of the pit are nailed before lowering it into the 
pit. The height above ground will be the same as the 
concrete frame. A somewhat cheaper bed can be 
made by extending the side and end boards only a 
few inches below the surface of the ground, but this 



HOTBEDS 25 

construction is not to be recommended, as much dam- 
age is frequently caused by moles and field mice find- 
ing their way into the bed, a whole planting being 
often destroyed in a single night. For this reason all 
knot holes and broken places in the boards should be 
closed with pieces of tin or wood. 

In putting the bed in commission fresh horse man- 
ure is necessary; this should be that which has ac- 
cumulated over night, if possible, for which reason it 
will be necessary to secure it from a public stable or 
one where a number of horses are kept. It should be 
mixed with a considerable amount of bedding or 
straw, as the burning of this alloy extends the heating 
period of the manure very materially. The manure 
alone would give a quick, intense heat soon dissipated. 

It is customary for florists and market gardeners 
to pile the manure in a long pile and wait for it to 
heat ; then fork it over and wait for it to heat again 
before filling in the pit. This is neither practical nor 
necessary in the management of a small hotbed; the 
small amount of manure used would simply dissipate 
its heat by much handling ; the better way is to place 
it at once in the pit, tramping it down in layers until 
within a few inches of the level of the ground, care 
being taken that it is tramped evenly all over, espe- 
cially in the corners. If this is not done the manure 
will settle more in one place than another, as fer- 



26 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

mentation proceeds, and the earth will crack and sag 
in places, disturbing the planting. 

Over the manure in the bed a layer of an inch of 
old, well rotted manure — that from last year's hot- 
bed will answer — should be placed. The object of 
this is to feed the tender roots of the young plants 
and prevent their penetrating down into the fresh 
manure and being burned. 

Five or six inches of good mellotv soil free from 
stones, sticks and lumps should be placed on top of 
this and raked fine and clear; if much rough stuff 
is present it will be an advantage to sift an inch or 
two of the top with a sand sieve. If the soil is very 
dry it will be best to wet it down and wait for it to 
dry to a moist, mellow condition before planting the 
seed. Earth that will hold its form when pressed in 
the hand, but looks mellow and ''right" is best. 

If the manure is fresh and already heating when 
applied — and the presence of moisture on the sash 
will indicate this — the planting of the seed may be 
started in twenty-four hours. The temperature may 
also be ascertained by thrusting a fork down into the 
manure and leaving it a few moments, when the tines, 
on removing it, will show at once the amount of heat. 

In planting seed in hotbeds or other protected 
places it must be borne in mind that it will not be 
necessary to plant as deeply as in the open, unpro- 
tected ground. Conditions of heat and moisture be- 



HOTBEDS 27 

ing under control, more sliallow planting may be 
practiced which will make a few daj's' gain in time 
of germination. There is one similarity, however, 
in all planting — the earth should be pressed firmly 
over the seed. The reason is this : when the seed ger- 
minates it sends out a little shoot with tiny, very tiny, 
little feelers on the end ; now if this shoot in emerg- 
ing finds itself in a little depression between two 
grains of earth — a cavity too small to be noticeable 
to the eye — it may not in those first critical moments 
of infantile life be able to connect itself with the 
atoms of earth on which its sustenance depends, for 
that little hole in the earth may prove a big and lone- 
some chamber to the little rootlet, across which it 
may not be able to creep in time. But if the earth 
is fine and soft and pressed snugly about each little 
seed there will be no disastrous spaces to cause decay. 

A piece of flat board with a handle on one face is 
a very handy tool to use in planting the hotbed. This 
will press the earth down evenly and is much better 
than the hand as it does not leave depressions in the 
ground to hold moisture and occasionally cause the 
fatal damping off so destructive to plant life. 

In planting the hotbed the seeds should be classified, 
planting, as far as possible, those requiring the same 
degrees of heat and air and moisture in the same sec- 
tion of the hotbed. Plants which make a tall, vigor- 
ous growth from the start should be planted in the 



28 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

rear of the bed in order that they may not overshadow 
the lower growths. Cosmos, gourds and Cohaea scan- 
dens are a few of the plants that should be relegated 
to the rear. 

Plant each variety of seed either in long rows across 
the bed, especially those seeds that are sown in drills, 
or in little squares by themselves, separating each 
square or section by narrow strips of wood pressed 
into the ground. This prevents the seed of one plat 
washing into the next if too much water happens to 
be received at a time; it is also of much advantage 
when the time comes to transplant the plants to the 
garden, especially in the case of several colors of the 
same plant — as in the case of asters, which would 
be difficult to distinguish, but you will know, by the 
dividing strip of wood, that all on one side are white, 
on another pink, and so on. 

Very fine seed like begonias, carnations, etc., should 
not be planted directly in the ground of the hotbed, 
but rather in shallow boxes — codfish boxes and half 
size cigar boxes are about right — and these set on the 
surface of the soil ; other fine seed may be sown broad- 
cast over the surface of the soil, pressed down with 
the board and then be covered lightly with fine sand 
sifted over. Somewhat coarser seed may be sown on 
the surface and have an eighth of an inch of fine 
earth sifted over ; other seed may be sown in shallow 
drills and the earth pressed back over it and quite 



HOTBEDS 29 

large seeds should be sown their depth below the 
surface. All bean-like seeds should be planted with 
the eye down ; Cohaea scandens and gourd seed should 
be set on edge ; planted flat they are quite apt to de- 
cay, rather than germinate. As a Japanese friend 
said, *'They are very corruptible." 

Each variety of seed should be plainly labeled with 
wooden labels, with both the name and date of plant- 
ing and, if known, the period of germination. This 
last is a most important memoranda as it advises when 
the plants in a particular plat should appear. With- 
out it one is quite apt to expect results too soon, to 
become discouraged and to commence digging up the 
ground to see if the seed has sprouted — a performance 
not at all conducive to successful germination. There 
is a wide divergence in the germinating period of 
various seeds; some, especially many annuals, ger- 
minate in from three to five days, others from five to 
eight and so on up to the slov;er growing gourds and 
hard-seeded plants which require from twelve to fif- 
teen days. But this is by no means the limit of seed 
dilatoriness, some seeds requiring a year to germin- 
ate. These, obviously, should not be planted in the 
hotbed, but rather in a protected bed in the open 
ground, or in a coldframe. 

When the planting of the hotbed or any one sec- 
tion of it is completed it should be sprayed carefully 
with a fine-rosed watering pot and covered with news- 



80 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

papers and the sash closed until such time as the 
plants appear, when the papers should be removed 
and replaced on top of the glass directly above the 
plants and the sash slightly raised to admit air. 

Air is very necessary to plant growth and one 
should aim to give as much as possible without chill- 
ing the plants. On sunny days the sash can be raised 
from the start a few inches if the precaution is taken 
to throw a rug over the opening of the sash on the 
windward side and to close the sash as soon as the 
sun has left it. It is equally important to raise it as 
soon as the sun raises the temperature inside suffi- 
ciently, as the heat increases very rapidly under glass 
under a direct sun, and it requires but a brief season 
of too high temperature to lay low an entire planting 
of seed, some plants being especially susceptible to 
burning. 

The hotbed sliould not be allowed to dry out or 
be kept too wet. It is best, usually, to water in the 
morning, unless very dry at night and the weather 
promises to be dry ; a good wetting at night followed 
by a stormy day or several days necessitating the clos- 
ing of the bed may spell disaster, for there is no way 
of drying out a bed in wet weather. 

Protection will be needed on stormy days and nights. 
For this there is nothing so good as straw mats. Fail- 
ing these, old carpet makes a warm covering, espe- 
cially if protected by a canvas cover to shed rain. A 



HOTBEDS 31 

strip of canvas large enough to cover the entire bed 
and extend down the sides, and coated with preserva- 
tive paint or oil, is an excellent investment, as it 
can be used spring and winter. If the corners are 
mitred or folded and secured with loops to fasten 
them about the frame so that they cannot be blown 
away, one can tuck away the hotbeds on the stormiest 
nights with no fear of frost. 

It is rarely expedient to start the hotbed before the 
frost is out of the ground. Taking into consideration 
the time in which the slowest seed will germinate — 
say two weekvS — and allowing six weeks more for the 
plants to have attained sufficient size for transplant- 
ing into the open ground after danger of frost is 
passed (which each one will know in his particular 
latitude), it will be a simple matter to decide just 
when the beds should be started ; it may be February 
in the vicinity of Philadelphia or further south, or 
late IMarch or April in JMichigau where we often find 
April 1st quite early enough. But north or south, 
east or west, it will be six or eight weeks before * ' com 
planting time.'* 

When all the plants are up and growing, lath 
screens over the sash during the hottest part of the 
day will be of benefit, espeeiallj^ as the weather grows 
warmer. Later these may be replaced by screens of 
wire if it is necessary to protect the beds against 
chickens, cats and other predatory attacks. Full ex- 



82 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

posure to sun and air is best after the plants have 
made some growth, providing there is no hint of frost 
in the air. While the beds should never be allowed to 
suffer from drought it will be best to let them dry out 
occasionally, sufficiently to harden the plants and 
encourage a stockier, woodier growth of stock and 
branch. If there is room to transplant the plants in 
the bed or one has auxiliary beds in which they can 
be transferred, much benefit will accrue, especially to 
such plants as asters, balsams, cabbage, cauliflowers 
and the like, though most plants recover quickly from 
the effects of crowding if the transplanting is ju- 
diciously done. 

Especial care should be given to hardening off the 
plants for a few days preceding transplanting, both 
by withholding water and by giving full exposure to 
the weather ; but the night before actual transference 
begins the bed should be well soaked to enable the 
plants to store up a generous supply of moisture to 
serve them until the roots have recovered from the 
shock of transplanting and are ready to resume the 
work of extracting moisture from the soil. 

It goes without saying that the beds should be in 
complete readiness for receiving the plants, and this 
preparation should have been made several days in 
advance of transplanting and before a soaking rain if 
possible. Newly spaded and worked ground is in too 
light and porous a condition for the setting of plants 



HOTBEDS 33 

or the sowing of seed; it should have time to settle 
and become close and firm but not hard. 

Where plants are to be set in straight rows, as in 
borders or in square beds it will be best to draw lines 
for the regular setting either by the aid of a garden 
line or by the use of a board. Where square beds are 
to be planted the use of a board is a great help as it 
gives a place to stand or kneel without treading on 
the bed and the space at which the plants should be 
set can be marked on the edge of the board with 
chalk, thus enabling one to work rapidly and accur- 
ately. If the board is the width of the space between 
the rows so much the better as it needs only to be 
moved its own width to mark the new line of plants. 

Only as many plants should be lifted at one time 
as can be gotten into the ground before they wilt. 
In lifting the plants press the trowel well down be- 
low the roots and lift a bunch of plants at a time, do 
not separate the plants until you are ready to plant 
them, and then carefully, one at a time. Make for 
each plant a hole with the trowel large enough to re- 
ceive the roots without crowding, place the plant in 
position and draw about the roots part of the dis- 
placed earth, pressing it firmly down and about the 
stem; pour in sufficient water to fill the hole; wait 
for it to seep away and then fill in the remainder of 
the soil. Do not press this down hard, but make it 
level, dry and fine above the roots. All the holes of 



34 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

a row may be dug at first ; then the plants set and the 
water placed in each and the covering done last ; this 
makes the work go off more quickly as there is then 
no waiting for the water to soak away. After all the 
plants are in, go over the bed carefully and see if any 
wet spots appear ; if this is the case dry earth should 
be drawn over them. This dry mulch is the im- 
portant point in transplanting ; if the roots are well 
wet down and then protected with a dry mulch of 
soil there will be no check in the growth of the plant 
and practically no loss in transplanting. The dust 
mulch keeps the soil and water underneath cool and 
prevents its drying out. If the surface soil were al- 
lowed to remain wet, the w'ater would be all drawn 
to the surface by the action of the sun and the capil- 
lary action of the soil ; also the sun penetrating the 
open pores of the soil would heat the water, injuring 
the roots. Under the action of a wet soil and hot day, 
plants unprotected by a dust mulch are literally 
cooked to death. For this reason it will be readily 
understood that the beds should not be watered after 
planting, but should be left undisturbed for several 
days or until they show by the action of the plants 
that root growth is established. Should any plant 
show signs of wilting or of needing water it should 
be supplied by making a hole at one side of the plant, 
applying water and replacing the dry mulch. No 
protection of any kind should be given newly set 



HOTBEDS 35 

plants unless protection from frost is required by a 
fall in temperature, and to avoid this it is better not 
to be in too mueb haste to set out plants, for it is far 
easier to protect plants in a compact mass in a hotbed 
than when distributed over several hundred feet of 
outdoor planting. 

Should a rain follow a planting and this be fol- 
lowed by sunshine, the beds should be gone over as 
soon as practicable to restore the dust mulch. A sea- 
son of clear, bright weather is always best for trans- 
planting; hot, muggy weather with frequent showers 
followed by hot sun the very worst, but a spell of wet 
weather with a grey sky is a very good condition, as 
there will be no steaming of the plants under those 
circumstances. 

It is a good plan to keep back a part of the plants 
in the initial planting so as to have a reserve to call 
on in case of accident to those already planted ; espe- 
cially is this desirable in the case of vegetable plants 
from which the cut worm takes so large an annual 
toll. Cosmos, gourds, and succulent stemmed plants 
arfe especially desired by the little brown and red 
worms that hide away so coyly in the daytime and 
work such havoc at night. Gourds, especially, should 
be protected by a collar of stiff paper or tin. Tin cans 
with the bottoms removed may be pressed into the 
ground around the plants, half the tin being beneath 



36 iSIAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the surface, care being taken to see that no worms 
are included in the enclosure. 

This having a reserve of plants is the strongest ar- 
g-ument for the possession of a hotbed. Often in bad 
years, having sufficient plants to replace those de- 
stroyed by cut worms, without the expense of pur- 
chasing the same, will more than meet the initial ex- 
pense of a bed. They always pay for the annual up- 
keep. In bad years it is no unusual thing to have to 
replant three and even four times, hunting for and 
killing the worms, morning after morning, before 
freedom from their depredations is secured. Espe- 
cially is this true when a garden borders on new sod 
or clover land which harbors an endless hoard of 
worms. 



CHAPTER IV 

COLDFRAMES, FLATS, AND OPEN GROUND PLANTING 

A COLDPRAME is a supplemental hotbed without the 
heat. Not requiring heating material it is not neces- 
sary that a pit be dug for it — the part of the frame 
of the hotbed which extends above the ground illus- 
trating the construction of the coldframe. A bed 
may be dug and shaped the size the coldframe is de- 
sired to be, just as one would proceed with a flower 
bed in the open ground. The coldframe is then 
placed over this and a sash provided and such heat 
as it requires will be supplied by the sun 's rays shin- 
ing on the glass which should usually face the south. 
If it is desired to use the frame in early spring, late 
fall, or winter, extra protection can be afforded by 
banking up about the outside of the frame with earth, 
sods or manure and providing mats or canvas for the 
top. 

A coldframe is a very useful adjunct of the garden 
as it furnishes a safe place for the growing of peren- 
nials for the coming season's use, especially those 
varieties whose slow germination unfits them for sow- 

37- 



38 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

ing in the hotbed or in the open border. It is also of 
prime importance where crowded conditions in the 
hotbed make transplanting into temporary quarters 
desirable. If half the plants can be lifted and set a 
couple of inches apart in a coldframe the advantage 
is evident. 

For temporary uses like this, a very good construc- 
tive arrangement of a coldframe is to have the frame 
fastened together with pins or bolts so that it can be 
taken apart when no longer needed. 

A spent hotbed furnishes a most excellent cold- 
frame as the soil is rich in plant food, but has the ob- 
jection of being needed before the ground is ready to 
receive the plants that must be disturbed ; a coldframe 
solves this difficulty as they may be put into it tem- 
porarily. Pansies should always be started in cold- 
frames if wanted for early spring blooming, though 
these can usually go into the open ground as soon as 
it can be worked in the spring. 

For the early starting of seeds where neither a hot- 
bed or coldframe is available, flats in the house offer 
an excellent substitute. Wherever a warm, sunny 
window — preferably a south or an east one, is avail- 
able, excellent results will follow indoor culture. Shal- 
low boxes — not over five inches deep for the large 
growths and two for fine, greenhouse plants, of any 
convenient size should be chosen. Boxes narrow 
enough to rest on the window sill, or better still, a 



COLDFRAMES 39 

broad shelf under a window that will allow of the 
boxes being drawn away from the glass, are more 
convenient to handle, and like a hotbed, several kinds 
of seeds may be sown in a single box providing they 
have similar requirements of heat, moisture and air. 
A box fashioned after the manner of a hotbed — high 
in the rear and low in front and supplied with a glass 
— makes a miniature greenhouse, will be found very 
satisfactory and can be easily constructed by any 
one handy with saw and hammer. 

Codfish boxes and shallow cigar boxes make excel- 
lent flats for the finer class of seeds — carnations, 
heliotropes, begonias, cinerarias, gloxinias, cyclamen, 
all may be grown successfully in these. A few holes 
should be made in the bottom of the flats to furnish 
drainage and these should be covered with bits of 
glass or shard and a little fine sphagum moss scat- 
tered over the bottom of the box for drainage before 
putting in the soil. The best soil for flats is a compost 
of good garden loam or fibrous soil from the bottom 
of sods, mixed with a little leaf mold and clean 
white sand, thoroughly incorporated; with this the 
larger flats should be filled to within an inch of the 
top, the smaller flats to a half inch. The earth must 
be settled evenly and pressed off level with a bit of 
board or anything handy — a paper weight is a good 
tool to use. Such fine seed as begonias, gloxinias and 
the like should be sifted as thinly as possible over the 



40 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

surface of the soil, pressed down but not covered, un- 
less with a light sifting of fine white sand, scarcely 
enough to cover the ground. Sand is better than soil 
for this purpose as it reacts against the tendency to 
produce the damping off fungus so troublesome in 
house culture. 

Larger seed may be covered with a light layer of 
soil, still larger planted in drills and covered once 
their width in depth. 

All flats or sections of seeds should be carefully 
labeled with name and date of sowing. After the 
seed is planted the small flats should be set in a pan 
of luke-warm water until the surface appears dark 
but not wet ; the larger flats may be watered with a 
fine-rose or a rubber sprinkler, taking care not to 
wash the seeds loose from the soil. Cover the flats 
with white paper, over w^hich lay a glass and give a 
position of as uniform heat as possible. No light will 
be needed until the seeds have germinated when the 
plants may be removed to a warm, light window and 
the paper removed, but placed between the box and 
the window glass, and the glass slightly raised, in- 
creasing the light and air as the plants will bear it. 
A width of cheese cloth stretched across the window 
will temper the light sufficiently for most plants. 

Plants grown in flats in the house require rather 
more attention than in a hotbed, as they are more 
tender, lacking the bracing out-door air. If the win- 



COLDFRAMES 41 

dow can be raised a little while every day, care being 
taken that there is no direct wind across the flats, 
it will help materially until such time as the sash 
can be raised most of the day. The boxes must not be 
allowed to dry out, as the earth is very shallow in 
these little receptacles, nor must it be kept too wet 
or soggy; just a mellow, moist, growing condition 
must be maintained. Other treatment and require- 
ments are the same as in hotbed culture. 

Sowing seed in the open ground is usually a very 
satisfactory way of dealing with those plants which 
do not require an early start. Nearly all annuals 
may be started outdoors, but should be planted deeper 
than in a flat or hotbed and the earth firmed well 
above them. If the season is that of the early spring 
rains, there will be no need of protection but should 
the season be dry it will be best to give protection of 
a little lawn clipping, or a little brush to prevent too 
much drying of the soil. This should be removed 
after the sun has left the bed in order that it may 
have the benefit of the night dew. After the plants 
are up no shade will, usually, be needed unless the 
position is very arid and exposed. Frequent watering 
with a fine sprinkler will be needed if the season is 
dry and as soon as the plants are large enough to 
handle it will be necessary to thin considerably, espe- 
cially if they are to remain where planted — as is true 
in the case of annual poppies. These should be thin- 



4!2 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

ned to stand from nine inches to a foot or more apart 
according to the variety. Plants which will stand 
transplanting may be lifted and planted elsewhere. 

Seeds of hardy perennials may be sown in the open 
ground and allowed to remain until fall or even the 
following spring; if planted in May no protection 
will be needed, but if planted in August it will be 
well to protect the planting with lath screens raised 
a foot from the ground. A very excellent way of 
starting hardy perennial seed is to sow it in long 
rows through the vegetable garden and give exactly 
the same treatment as that accorded the beets or 
other vegetables, thinning the plants when up and 
cultivating throughout the summer. In the fall they 
may be lifted and planted where they are to remain, 
or they may remain where planted until the follow- 
ing spring, protecting the plants, if of a character 
which is benefited by protection, by boards leaning 
against stakes driven into the ground between the 
plants, or by evergreen boughs laid over them, or 
better still, leaning against a pole attached to stakes 
driven between the rows. The evergreen branches 
should be set tips downward so as to shed rain and 
wet. Pansies, hollyhocks, garden pinks and all plants 
which retain a crown of leaves during winter are 
especially favored by this form of protection. 

In planting seed of annual poppies, foxgloves, sweet 
alyssum and the like it is only necessary to scatter 



COLDFRAMES 43 

the seed broadcast and either press it into the soil 
with a board or, if the earth is dry, to rake it in and 
then tramp it firmly with the feet. As poppy seed is 
very fine and the work of thinning the plants con- 
siderable, it is a good plan to mix the seed with dry 
sand — about a cupful of sand to a packet of seed and 
to broadcast this as thinly as possible. 

Closely connected with the preparation of the 
ground and the use of fertilizers, is the selection and 
use of tools. It is impossible to work a garden with 
any degree of comfort and success without the assist- 
ance of suitable tools. At the same time, a multi- 
plicity of tools is apt to prove * ' an embarrassment of 
riches," so large a number of the gardening tools 
upon the market are manufactured to sell and to 
tempt out of the pocket of the amateur, that slippery 
American dollar, which is never so elusive as when 
one begins to dabble in soil and the things which per- 
tain thereto. 

Such tools, however, as are essential should be of 
the best quality and suited to the hand of the one who 
is to use them. A good spade, with the blade at the 
angle most convenient to use — some prefer a straight 
handle, while others can work better with one which 
throws the point of the spade out — and a step wide 
enough for a good foot-hold, is the first tool which 
will be needed. Following this, a good iron rake of 
the curved tooth variety, or a lawn rake may be used 



44 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

very conveniently if preferred; a hoe of small blade 
and light handle, suitable for chopping in between 
plants of perennials and shrnbs, and a trowel. This 
should be of steel in one piece — no riveted handle 
sort should be invested in — and it will be well to pur- 
chase three or four trowels and keep them in dif- 
ferent parts of the garden, as they are apt to be 
needed when not available and the extra steps re- 
quired in running after them often result in a bit 
of work being neglected that would be done were the 
means of attending to it at hand when it was noticed. 
Also it will be found a wise precaution to tie a bit 
of bright ribbon to the handle of each trowel, as 
there is no garden tool so prone to loss and to be- 
ing covered up with the soil and weeds as this, 
and the bit of bright color helps to identify it. 

Where the garden is planted in long even rows and 
the plants set a reasonable distance — fifteen to eight- 
een inches — apart, the use of a hand cultivator of 
the Planet, Jr., type is possible and will so simplify 
the work of caring for the garden that twice the 
amount of space may be undertaken; the use of the 
cultivator produces a far thriftier growth of plants, 
but where the garden is laid out in formal beds it is 
not practicable and one must use the hoe and spading 
fork more or less. After the beds have been spaded 
up in the spring and put in thorough order it will 
not be necessary to do much deep digging, but rather 



COLDFRAMES 45 

to keep the soil soft and open by maintaining a dust 
mulch. 

The best tool for this purpose and for all-around 
work in the garden is the scuffle hoe. This tool's flat 
blade, about nine inches wide and four inches deep, is 
set at an angle of about thirty degrees to the handle. 
In using it is pushed from one, stirring or scuffling 
the earth and producing a dry mulch of from one 
to three inches in depth according to the angle at 
which the handle is held and the vigor with which it 
is used. As there are no projections or parts to 
catch on the plants it can be pushed close to the 
stems and under the leaves without in the least dis- 
turbing them. In using, the worker walks backwards, 
thus avoiding the tramping on the newly worked 
ground as is necessary with all other forms of cultiva- 
tors. I know of no other tool or combination of tools 
with which one can accomplish the same amount of 
work with so little fatigue. By going over the gar- 
den with it the morning after a rain, a dust mulch is 
established which will, ordinarily, carry the garden 
on to the next rainfall. Its use in the eradication of 
weeds in the garden is invaluable. By going over the 
ground as soon as the first seed leaves of the weeds 
appear one can keep the garden entirely free from 
weeds the entire season with no more trouble than is 
required to maintain a dust mulch. In fact, with this 
tool there is no excuse for weeds. 



46 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

Another tool wliich will be needed in spring and 
fall is a good garden line and reel. This may be 
easily manufactured at home or may be bought at a 
reasonable price of any dealer in garden supplies. 
For laying out round beds and similar work a garden 
pole, instead of line, will be useful. This is easily 
made by drilling holes six inches and a. foot apart in 
a strip of inch lumber about two inches wide. At one 
end there should be a larger hole into which a stout, 
pointed stake with a shoulder is inserted so as to turn 
easily and the top of the stake should have a peg 
or nail in the end to prevent its dropping out. A 
sharp, somewhat slimmer peg or several of these, 
should be provided to fit the smaller holes which are 
used for measuring. By using a tool like this it is 
possible to mark off a garden like the circular rose 
garden in Plan D or Plan C at almost one operation, 
by using a long enough pole and from four to five 
pegs. 

A carrier in which plants may be transferred from 
the sandbox to the garden or house will be found of 
use and a very convenient one may be made by taking 
a straight piece of board about twelve inches wide 
and eighteen or twenty long and nailing strips of 
wood about three inches wide along the sides and 
fitting a handle, which may be improvised from a 
barrel hoop soaked until pliable and nailed exactly 
in the middle of each side of the board so that it 



COLDFRAMES 47 

will hang evenly when loaded. A watering pot, a hose 
and nozzle and plenty of wire and lath screens, twine 
or raffia for tying, labels and stakes for staking plants 
about complete the sum of the necessary garden tools. 



CHAPTER Y 



THE ANNUAL GARDEN 



The annual garden may be said to be the inception 
of the garden proper. It is the first word in garden 
culture for the majority of people; for many it is 
the only word, as it may be written in colors of flame 
and pencils of light across the transient way of the 
peripatetic Wanderer from one brief camping ground 
to another farther on when the *' wanderlust" calls. 

The permanent garden shares the dignity of old 
established homes and traditions; it suggests quiet 
streets and deep, well cared for grounds, sloping 
away into generous distances, but the annual garden 
may be a little patch of bloom beside the door or 
down the path to the gate; it may be but a bit of 
ground reclaimed from the ash pile and rubbish heap 
of a city back yard, but it will be none the less lavish 
of bloom and fragrance for its sordid surroundings, 
nor the less beautiful when surrounded by well kept 
lawns and shrubbery. 

The speed with which an annual garden may be 
brought into bloom — a brief ten weeks from the first 

48 



THE ANNUAL GARDEN 49 

breaking of the sod, to a riot of color — gives it an 
importance second to no phase of garden culture. If 
a permanent, hardy garden is in contemplation, and 
it is desired to proceed economically and conserva- 
tively by growing one's own plants from seed — which 
may be done by the hundreds at a cost of the same 
plants by dozens from the florists — ^then the use of 
annuals to fill the beds until the perennials are ready 
is invaluable as the seed may be sown broadcast in 
the beds in April or May, according to the latitude, 
and thinned or transplanted in May to give abundant 
room for growth, and the first year of the garden 
may have no embarrassing hiatus of bloom, but be a 
sheet of beauty from early summer to frost; for all 
annuals lend themselves remarkably well to mass bed- 
ding, especially where grown one variety of flower in 
a bed. It rarely pays to mix annuals in formal beds, 
though that may be done with good effect in borders 
along the foundations of the house, along the fence or 
drive or other informal positions; even then it is 
best to colonize each variety by itself, alternating the 
clumps if -desired, or planting low-growing sorts in 
front of taller growths. 

Many of our ornamental bedding plants may be 
raised from seed and treated as annuals. Especially 
is this true of the tuberous sorts, as the cannas and 
dahlias, coleus and salvias, which are usually bought 
of the florists, may be easily started in hotbed or 



50 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

house and bedded out when all danger of frost is 
past, and a few cents' worth of seed will give several 
dollars' worth of plants, which will give quite an air 
to the lawn and garden. Ricinus or castor bean, one 
of the most imposing ornamental plants we have, is 
so easily grown from seed that its use should be more 
in evidence, especially in these sections of the cities 
or towns where lots are still divided from each other 
by unsightly fences and the rear of the lots defined 
by alleys. Here the ricinus may be very useful in 
hiding all that is unsightly and obtrusive, and this is 
true of many of the taller growing annuals — the 
Cleome pungens, annual sunflowers, cosmos, euphor- 
bias, Nicotiana sylvestris and the like — while for low 
beds about the house or lawn there is nothing better 
than the brilliant verbena, the persistent petunia, 
which comes in so many beautiful shades and color- 
ings and blooms until real cold weather, or the Phlox 
Drmnmondi. 

Indeed, there is scarcely a need of the flower gar- 
den, except that of permanence, that may not be met 
by an excursion into the realm of annual flowers, and 
the requirements for their growth are of the simplest 
— just fairly good garden soil, worked fine and mel- 
low and enriched with some old, well-decayed manure 
and, if possible, some leaf mold or earth from a com- 
post heap, and a sufficient supply of water during 
the growing season, especially when the flowers are 



THE ANNUAL GARDEN 51 

developing, for annuals do not have tlie root system 
possessed by the long-lived perennials and shrubs. 
Bone meal is a good fertilizer for annuals, and a little 
nitrate of soda worked into the soil about the plants 
after they are up and have been cultivated once, will 
hasten them along wonderfully sometimes, but should 
not be used on those few plants that do best in rather 
poor soil, like the nasturtium, which, given too much 
food, produces a rank growth of leaves at the expense 
of blossoms. 

Tall hedges, low hedges, screens, massed bedding, 
ribbon bedding, vines for all positions — porches, per- 
golas, trellises, vases, window and porch boxes, hang- 
ing baskets and the like — may all be recruited from 
the useful annual roster. 

Annuals are especially useful in filling in beds or 
edgings planted to spring blooming bulbs— tulips, 
hyacinths and the like — especially where it is not 
desired to lift these when their season of bloom is 
past. A light scattering of seed of any low-growing, 
or slender annual — one that does not make a suffi- 
ciently strong root growth to interfere with the wel- 
fare of the bulbs, such as petunias, verbenas, asters, 
phlox, lobelias, the dwarf morning glories and any 
number of other flowers— will keep that portion of 
the garden in full bloom for the remainder of the 
season. 

Better still, plants of such annuals as it is desired 



52 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

to use may be started in the hotbed or flats in the 
house so as to be ready to plant out as soon as the 
tulip or other bulbs have ceased blooming; in this 
way they will be ready to furnish bloom much more 
quickly than if planted in the open ground. Candy- 
tuft is one of the annuals that comes into bloom very 
quickly, but as it gives but one florescence, repeated 
sowings of seed should be made, the second about the 
time buds begin to show on the first plants; in this 
way a succession of this most desirable plant will be 
assured. The schizanthus is another desirable plant, 
repeated sowings of which are necessary for a suc- 
cession of bloom. These little plants, with their ex- 
quisite mass of flowers of all delicate shades of white, 
pink, rose, mauve and the like, come into bloom very 
soon after growth begins, and present a perfect pyra- 
mid of bloom, each plant a symmetrical bouquet, per- 
fect, complete, but the first florescence is practically 
all there is of it so that successive sowings should be 
made if one desires a mass of continuous bloom. 

One of the plants which requires a little special 
treatment is the scabiosa. This for best results should 
be started early in hotbed or flats, and transplanted 
out as soon as danger of frost is past, so that it may 
come into bloom before hot weather, as it is not at 
its best in extreme heat. It is one of our most beau- 
tiful annuals, and the range of color is unusual, 
white, flesh-pink, rose, terra cotta, crimson, purple- 



THE ANNUAL GARDEN 53 

black, azure — all beautiful and distinctive. As the 
scabiosa has little foliage it should be massed rather 
closely, and the tall stems will be the better for some 
support, as slender bamboos or strings drawn across 
the beds to which the stems may be secured, but as 
inconspicuously as possible. The scabiosa is one of 
our very best cut flowers, remaining fresh in water a 
considerable time and the buds opening well. 

Cosmos is another annual which should be started 
under heat early, and transplanted when the nights 
and ground are warm. It should have a wann, sunny 
situation and abundant room — not less than three 
feet between plants, and five would be better. Give 
rich soil, stake with a sturdy stake at least five feet 
long and driven well into the ground, for the cosmos 
is badly twisted and broken by high winds, and when 
once down cannot well be raised again, but is then 
better allowed to lie on the ground, where each branch 
will root at the joint and grow erect from that point, 
making a fine and sturdy clump. They make an ex- 
cellent boundary line between the vegetable and 
flower garden or other part of the grounds, and do 
exceedingly well where they can have the cultivation 
given the vegetables. 

Verbena seed will germinate much more quickly if 
soaked in quite warm water over night, and seed 
of the annual morning glories, especially the Japanese 
variety, should be soaked in warm water until they 



54 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

sprout, and then planted in warm soil in a sunny 
situation. Or if this is not convenient and it is pre- 
ferred to plant direct in the open ground after the 
nights and soil are warm, then the}^ should be 
dropped thinly in a shallow drill and hot water 
poured over them before filling in the earth ; this will 
make several days' difference in the germination 
period. 

Asters will make much finer plants if transplanted 
once at least before being set where they are to grow, 
and balsams will not give the fine, double blossoms 
desired if they are not transplanted once at least. 
On the other hand, some annuals will not bear trans- 
planting at all, so must be sown where they are to 
bloom, as the various annual poppies. The perennial 
forms, however, transplant readily. 

In planting canna, the seed, which is very hard, 
should have a hole filed or sandpapered on one side 
and then be soaked in hot water until the inner shell 
bursts. It should then be planted in pots, plunged 
into the hotbed or a box of sand in a warm window 
and grown until time to plant out where it is to re- 
main. Re-pot if the plant requires it. Many an- 
nuals are greatly benefited by the use of marsh earth 
or muck in the bed. Especially is this the case with 
the salvia, which grows to unguessed proportions 
under this stimulus. This, if old, may be spread over 
the beds and spaded in, but if fresh a hole should be 



THE ANNUAL GARDEN 55 

dug, filled with it and covered with earth and the sal- 
via, canna, etc., set in it. Little, if any, trace of the 
muck will remain when the plant has completed its 
season growth. 

The accompanying list of annual plants is merely 
suggestive, as there is not room to list the various 
members of each plant family, but any good cata- 
logue will supply such additional data as may be 
desired. 



56 



MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 



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CHAPTER VI 

BEDDING PLANTS FROM SEED 

A VERY decided saving in the season's outlay for 
the garden can be made by growing one's own bedding 
plants from seed. Many of the bedding plants pur- 
chased from the florists are quite as easily grown from 
seed as from cuttings, and will usually make a more 
vigorous growth than when subjected to the change 
from a heated greenhouse to the open ground. At 
any rate, the saving in expense is well worth con- 
sidering, as a hundred plants may be raised from seed 
for what one would pay for a dozen pot plants. 

Coleus is easily raised from seed sown in hotbed 
or flats, the seed germinating quickly and the plants 
growing finely from the start. A good many new 
shades and markings may be expected, and as the 
plants Iwill be showing individuality by the time 
they should go into permanent beds, one can readily 
select those which most appeal to one, and discard 
the undesirable ones. No special care is required in 
sowing the seed. Cover an eighth of an inch deep, 
pressing the soil firmly above it, water carefully, 

58 



BEDDING PLANTS FROM SEED 59 

cover with a white paper and glass until the plants 
appear, then place in a warm sunny window, shading 
the glare of the sun for the first few days with a 
bit of cheese cloth stretched across the window, then 
give full sun as the plants grow in size, for coleus 
depends upon the sun for the beauty of its foliage. 
Transplant, when large enough to handle, into similar 
flats or small thumb pots, if the number is not too 
large, plunging these into boxes of moist sand or moss 
and grow until planting time. The directions for 
coleus ^eed apply equally well to all the .smaller 
seeded plants with the exception of heliotrope. Where 
these are required for bedding, extra care must bo 
given to the question of humidity, as they are very 
sensitive to extremes of drought or dampness and 
must be kept just at the point of drying out, but 
never allowed to do so, for success. 

Salvias are, of all bedding plants, the most easily 
managed; the seed, which should be sown in flats or 
hotbed, germinates in from three to five days, and all 
the little plants ask is a chance to grow in sunshine 
and fresh air in abundance, but not cold air, as 
the salvia is a plant of warmth and sunshine, espe- 
cially in its early stages. Grown from seed they 
bloom earlier than from cuttings, and I have had 
from spring-sown seeds plants five or six feet high 
and a mass of bloom by mid-summer. 

Dahlias are as easily grown from seed as salvias, 



60 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

but should be planted in the hotbed or flat and kept 
warm and not planted out until the ground is warm 
— probably the first of June in the north. The 
single dahlias are especially satisfactory when grown 
from seed, and make excellent cut flowers, especially 
for corsage wear. 

Asparagus Sprengeri is so easily raised from seed 
that one should use it much more than is done, as 
nothing quite takes its place for window and porch 
boxes. 

Begonia is another easily raised bedding plant ; the 
seed of this being very fine should be sown on the 
surface of the soil in small flats, the seed being 
merely pressed into the soil and the young plants 
must not be exposed to extremes of temperature or 
moisture, and must be transplanted as soon as large 
enough to handle, into other flats, setting them an 
inch apart each way. 

Cannas, especially the ornamental-foliaged varie- 
ties, are very readily raised from seed, which should 
be first sandpapered on one side till the white shows 
through, then soaked in hot water till the inner shell 
cracks, and planted two or three in a four-inch pot, 
and when a few inches high all but the best one should 
be removed. Give air, sunshine and abundance of 
water at all times, and transplant into the open 
ground when all danger of frost is past, setting from 
one foot to eighteen inches apart each way. 



BEDDING PLANTS FROM SEED 61 

The zonale geranmms are of the easiest culture and 
should be handled the same as salvias, dahlias and 
the like — gentle heat, sun as they grow stronger, but 
less water than cannas and a little hardening off be- 
fore transplanting. 

Lantanas are especially easy to grow and make de- 
lightful low hedges between lots or between different 
parts of the grounds where a low hedge is desired. 
Each little seed is a nut in reality and, curiously 
enough, will often give two plants from one nut. They 
grow very rapidly, and I have had, from spring 
planted seed, plants over two feet in diameter and a 
mass of bloom by mid-summer. They do not seem to 
be afflicted with insects or disease, and are altogether 
one of our most desirable bedding or pot plants. 

The lobelia is so easily grown from seed that it 
may be used to edge beds of other plants as well as 
for vases, boxes, baskets and the like. 

Petunias are so desirable in all the many varieties 
that one can never go far amiss in planting them 
largely, both for mass effect on the lawn, for edging 
to the perennial borders or in front of shrubbery, or 
for window and porch boxes and for vases. The 
small flowered white snowball is one of the best for 
mass effect. The brilliant, and equally effective, 
carmine variety, and the Howard Star are also 
desirable in this respect. Brilliant being a very 
effective variety for massing in window boxes 



62 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

where a mass of solid color is desired. But for per- 
fection and size of bloom there is nothing to equal the 
single, large flowering petunias, the Giants of Cali- 
fornia and the Ruffled Giants. These should be found 
indispensable to every complete flower garden. But 
if one de'feires to grow notable flowers of these giant 
strains one must be sure that the seed purchased is 
the best obtainable and to insure this one must pay 
a price that will guarantee it, certainly not less than 
twenty-five cents a packet, and give the seed a little 
extra care, jjlanting it in shallow flats set in the warm 
greenhouse, hotbed or a warm window, and not allow 
them to suffer from too dry or too wet a soil or too 
hot a sun, or the lack of it. Prick out the little seed- 
lings as soon as large enough to handle, into other 
flats, setting them an inch or more apart each way 
and transplant again when they begin to crowd. Do 
not discard the tiny, weak ones, as these are quite 
often the choicer sorts, but when the plants are a few 
inches high and long before they begin to show buds 
the superior sorts are easily distinguished by the 
stockier branches and heavier, curlier leaves — indeed 
there is as much difference between the plants of the 
large flowering sorts and the common small bedding 
plants as there is between the flowers. 

A very satisfactory and rather uncommon bedding 
plant which from its many good qualities and ease 
of culture should be more in evidence in our gar- 



BEDDING PLANTS FROM SEED 63 

dens, is the vinca, or Madagascar perriwinkle. They 
make neat, erect plants from twelve to fifteen inches 
in height; the foliage is dark green, glossy and en- 
tirely free from insect pests. The flowers, five petaled 
and star shaped, are produced in the greatest profu- 
sion from August until frost, and if lifted and potted 
will continue to bloom indoors all winter. There are 
three varieties, a rosy crimson with dark eye, white 
with crimson eye and pure white, all equally good. 
The seed requires heat to genninate, so should be 
sown in the hotbed or flats and given the same gen- 
eral treatment as other bedding plants. 

The ricinus is too well known to require special 
instructions for its culture, but best results are secured 
by planting the seed in pots and transferring the 
plants to the open ground when the soil and nights 
are warm. When disturbed in transplanting they 
are sometimes very slow in taking a start, but grow 
vigorously when once under way, and it is rarely that 
a plant is lost. The zanzabariensis variety is the fin- 
est for general culture, but where a high screen is de- 
sired, rather than a fine foliage effect, some of the 
taller sorts may be employed. 

Some of the vines usually purchased of the fiorists 
for vases, window boxes, trellises and the like are as 
easily grown from seed as any of the common garden 
annuals. Cohaea scanderis is a case in point; all that 
is necessary being to start in hotbed or flat, setting 



64 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the seeds on edge and covering a fourth of an inch 
with mellow soil. These are most desirable, both as 
climbers and as a source of cut flowers, for the plants 
commence blooming early and bloom every step of 
the way, from the ground up to the topmost branch, 
which is often an incredible distance from the ground. 
I have had them flaunt their pale green, lavender, 
mauve and wine-colored bloom from the tipmost 
branch of a tall pear tree, or from the top of a wind- 
mill tower. 

The dainty little manetta vine is easily grown from 
seed, as is also its sturdier neighbor, the thunbergia, 
with its disc-shaped flowers of white with black eye, 
yellow with black eye and pure yellow. Kennilworth 
ivy grows readily from seed and self-sown plants* of 
this and manetta vine are often found the following 
year under the boxes where they bloomed and seeded 
the year before. The ivy loves to creep into the crev- 
ices of the stone or brick foundations of the house, 
even creeping through the windows and growing luxu- 
riantly in the earth inside. Under one window in an 
earth fruit cellar the soil was green all winter with 
this delicate vine, which looked far too delicate to 
withstand the cold of its curiously chosei; home. 



CHAPTER VII 

BULBS FOR SUMMER BLOOMING 

Of special interest to the summer garden, especially 
in the summer or the temporary home, is the class 
of plants known as summer-blooming bulbs, though 
some of them belong properly to the tuberous and 
corm class, as the dahlia, canna and the like. They 
have one general classification, however, in that they 
are bedded out in spring or early summer and de- 
pend upon house or cellar storage during the winter, 
in this being differentiated from those bulbs and roots 
which remain for the entire twelve months in the 
ground. 

The most conspicuous member of this class, used 
as it is so largely for ornamental planting in parks, 
on lawns and wherever a semi-tropical, ornate effect 
is desired, is the canna. This, while easily raised 
from seed, is usually started from the tubers which 
have been wintered in the cellar or purchased of the 
florist in the spring. Where cannas are grown for 
the bloom as well as for the foliage effect the plant- 
ing of tubers is really necessar^^, as only in this way 

65 



66 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

can reliable varieties be secured. Of late years great 
improvement lias been made in the size of bloom, the 
coloring and the abundance of bloom so that the canna 
can no longer be regarded merely as an ornamental 
foliage plant. The tubers can be started in house or 
hotbed any time after the first of February. As can- 
nas are very susceptible to decay, the earlier they can 
be started, all other conditions being favorable, the 
better. The bunch of tubers should be carefully 
looked over, giving one good eye to each piece, and 
removing all decayed or shriveled parts. They may 
be started in pots of soil, in boxes of sand or in bas- 
kets of moss, either medium giving excellent results ; 
the moss (Sphagnum) has much to recommend it, as 
it is light and clean to handle. Very little is to be 
gained by too early planting in the open as, while 
they are less tender than some of the other summer 
bedders, still they will succumb to a late frost, and 
the labor of covering them nights and removing the 
cover each morning offsets the small advantage gained 
in time. Cannas are gross feeders and quite intemper- 
ate in the matter of drink, and they should be planted, 
therefore, in very rich soil — manure and marsh earth 
Buit them admirably — and never allowed to suffer for 
water. If one has not city water or a water system 
on the place, then it will be well to plant the cannas 
within easy reach of such water supply as exists. 
The plants should be set from eighteen inches to two 



BULBS FOR SUMMER BLOOMING 67 

feet apart, according to variety and the effect desired. 
Dahlias, while not enjoying the place in landscape 
gardening held by the canna, are magnificent when 
grown as a hedge or background for smaller plants. 
The flowers, indeed, leave little to be desired in effec- 
tiveness of size and color, and the many forms pro- 
duced meet the requirements of a wide diversity of 
tastes. For cut flowers and corsage wear, the single 
blossoms are more graceful and desirable, but for 
unique beauty and quaintness there is nothing to 
equal the cactus type — they are my especial favorites 
of all the dahlia family, especially the glowing car- 
dinal varieties. Unlike the canna, the dahlia winters 
admirably and need not be hurried into growth in the 
spring. Usually they will announce their readiness 
to grow by throwing out lush green shoots while still 
in the dark corner of a cool cellar. Like the canna 
they may be started in earth, in sand or in moss, 
or they may be held back (and this is the better way) 
and planted directly where they are to bloom when 
the soil is warm — about the first of June in the north. 
In separating give each tuber a live shoot and a por- 
tion of the old stock. Tubers having no live eye or 
shoot will not produce one, but may be used to graft 
a live shoot on if there are more than one shoot to 
other tubers and it is desired to produce as many 
plants as possible. Remove a shoot close to the tuber, 
cut the end to a wedge, cut a corresponding wedge- 



68 MAKING OF A FLOWEK GARDEN 

shaped piece from the tuber it is desired to use and 
insert the shoot; place in the ground and draw the 
earth up firmly about the shoot ; it will make as good 
a plant as though grown from the tuber in the origi- 
nal way. 

Dahlias require rich soil and abundance of water, 
especially when producing their flowers. They also 
require very substantial support, as they are easily 
broken by wind, and even by a heavy rainfall when 
in full foliage. A five-foot stake is none too long, and 
a six-foot one still better, and it should be stout in 
proportion and firmly set in the ground. It is well 
to set the stake at the same time, or soon after the 
plant is set, as the dahlia makes a whorl of big 
fleshy tubers, and if one waits until the stake is needed 
it will be difficult to set it close enough to the plant 
to support it without injuring the roots; when set 
with the plant, tying can commence as soon as the 
plant is a foot or more high, and proceed as growth 
progresses. 

A mulch of old manure or lawn clippings about 
the plants after they have set their buds will be of 
much benefit, especially if the plants are where they 
will not be disturbed by chickens scratching the mulch 
off the ground. Lawn clippings make an ideal mulch 
when undisturbed, and should be placed four inches 
deep to start with and added to as they wither. If 
left undisturbed they will settle into a close mat 



BULBS FOR STOIMER BLOOMING 69 

that will keep the ground moist, mellow and free 
from weeds ; stirred up, they are of little benefit. 

But if one wishes to grow dahlias for cut flowers 
and wishes to produce notable blooms that will make 
the professional florists sit up and take notice, he 
should start the tubers in the open ground about the 
middle of l^Iay, making a big, deep hole and laying 
the tuber, live eye up, therein at a depth of about 
four inches and cover with not more than two inches 
of soil at the start, adding the remainder as the plant 
increases is size, for too deep covering of the tuber at 
the start is the cause of much failure in dahlia cul- 
ture. And the planting should not be in formal beds 
in the garden, but down in the vegetable garden 
where they can receive the same cultivation given the 
corn, for that is just the sort of care the dahlia 
thrives under, and not any exotic, professional treat- 
ment; just plain, everyday garden culture, with a 
horse cultivator if possible or a hand cultivator if 
the garden is small. This and plenty of water will 
give the best that can be produced in this magnificent 
class of plants. 

The dahlia has its enemies, though some years they 
are little in evidence, and these are less troublesome 
in open-field culture than in the flower garden. The 
aphis, or green fly, is often in evidence, but can 
usually be controlled by an emulsion of tobacco stems 
in water or tobacco soap, sprayed on the plants; an 



70 IMAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

even better spray is clear hot water at about a bundred 
and forty degrees, or water at a hundred and thirty 
degrees may be used in a large vessel and the tips 
of the branches — the most affected parts — dipped in 
it and held there for one minute. The Green Leaf 
Hopper is more troublesome owing to its penchant 
for moving around just when one most wishes it to 
keep still. It is of all insect pests the most trouble- 
some to eradicate, but can be handled very early in 
the morning while the foliage is wet and the insect 
sluggish, by spraying with the tobacco or soap solu- 
tion. 

Gladiolas offer as few problems for successful 
growth as one could reasonably expect of a flower ; a 
warm, sunny position, well enriched soil, either from 
a liberal fall application of manure to the bed or a 
spring dressing of sheep manure or the droppings 
from the rabbit warrens (which may well be com- 
posited during winter for this purpose), applied in 
the spring. The bulbs should be prepared for plant- 
ing by removing the dried skins and the dead root at 
the base of the bulb. Large bulbs may be planted 
from six to eight inches deep, small bulbs more shal- 
low, but the deep-planted bulbs can go into the 
ground earlier and remain later, and will require 
less staking than the shallow-planted ones. If one 
wishes a succession of bloom successive plantings of 



BULBS FOR STOIMER BLOOMING 71 

bulbs will insure it, making the plantings every two 
weeks up to the first of July. 

Gladiolas are very satisfactory for cutting, as they 
may be brought in when the first flower has developed 
and every bud will unfold, often seeming finer than 
those in the open ground. Especially is this the case 
in extremely hot weather, when the blooms fade 
quickly. 

For mass planting a large number of bulbs of one 
variety is best, or one may plant two or more varie- 
ties that contrast effectively, as the blue or violet 
Baron Hulot and the yellow Sulphur King. One 
of the best bedders of the red class is found in 
Mrs. Francis King. This is a light scarlet or flame 
color, and is an excellent cut-flower variety, selling 
well to the stores in the cities. It is also very mod- 
erate in price, the bulbs selling for something like two 
dollars and a half a [hundred, or five cents (each 
singly. The pure white varieties are always lovely, 
and some of them reasonable in price, so that they 
may be planted in masses, and in combination with 
the scarlet sorts are very effective. Augusta is a 
lovely, pure white variety with blue anthers, and 
Glory of Holland another beautiful sort, the anthers 
in this being violet instead of blue. Both of these 
can be purchased for fifty cents a dozen, and much 
cheaper in larger quantities. Most of the other white 
varieties show a slight penciling or suffusion of color. 



72 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

There are some very rich, dark gladiolas in the newer 
sorts well worth cultivating, Deuil de Carnot, Europa, 
and Empress of India being especially desirable sorts. 
Caladiums form an important part of the summer 's 
ornamental planting. No other plant equals them 
in foliage effect. The immense, glaucus green leaves 
often measuring three feet or more in length by two 
or more wide, have a lush, tropical effect distinctly 
their own. The plant is a gross feeder and heavy 
drinker, and must have an unlimited water supply to 
be at its best. If one can procure marsh earth for the 
caladium bed it will well repay one to do so; marsh 
earth that has been thrown up in ditching and lain 
over winter for the action of the frost to subdue it is 
of course best, but where this is not obtainable the 
fresh muck from the swamp will be equally acceptable 
to the caladium, but must be buried under the garden 
soil as, left exposed to the air and sun, it becomes 
simply a piece of peat, more suitable for fuel than for 
plant food. Caladium tubers may be planted directly 
in the open ground, about the first of June, or may 
better be started in the hotbed in March and planted 
out the first week in June. Set the tubers three feet 
apart at the least, so that they may have abundant 
room to develop the massive leaves. If the bed is 
slightly lower than the surrounding lawn it will be 
all the better, as it will retain moisture to a greater 
degree than a raised or level bed which allows much 



BULBS FOR SUMMER BLOOMING 73 

of the water to drain away. Thorough spraying of 
the leaves in dry weather is absolutely necessary if 
the bed is to present an attractive appearance, for 
the leaves collect and retain the dust to a surprising 
degree, but are easily cleansed by the hose or water- 
ing pot. 

The fancy leaved caladiums are exquisitely beauti- 
ful miniature plants more suitable for indoor culture 
than for bedding out, but may be used in porch or 
window boxes in favorable situations. They require 
a lighter soil than the Caladium esculentum, woods 
earth and fine white sand and the fibrous soil from the 
under side of sod furnishing an ideal compost. They 
require heat in starting and water should be given 
sparingly until growth is well under way, when a lib- 
eral supply may be furnished. For pot culture in 
the house or conservatory during the summer months 
they are ideal and should be largely employed to re- 
place the bedding plants which will be removed from 
the conservatory or house at the approach of warm 
weather. Three or four in a large pot will give a 
rich and charming effect, or they may be grown in 
window boxes very satisfactorily. In autumn, when 
they show signs of resting, water should be gradually 
withheld, and the pots stored in a dry, frost-proof 
cellar — a furnace cellar if possible. 

Tuberous begonias have come into wide popularity 
during the past few years, and few, if any, plants 



74* MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

surpass them in charm and beauty. They are espe- 
cilly adapted to growing in east window boxes and 
in sheltered spots on the lawn. They require the same 
quality of soil as the fancy-leaved caladiums — leaf 
mold, sand and fibrous loam and practically the same 
conditions of moisture when starting growth, but 
somewhat less when growing. A good method of start- 
ing is to pot the tubers singly in four-inch pots, care 
being taken that they are planted right side up, as 
there is little difference apparent between the crown 
and the root side until growtti starts, and when there 
is any doubt at all about the matter it will be best 
to start the roots in damp moss placed in a shallow 
box or basket, where the tubers can be spread out 
side by side and kept just moist, until there is suffi- 
cient sign of growth to make planting safe. They 
may then be potted and allowed to grow until time 
to plant in permanent beds or boxes. Plant rather 
shallow, not more than an inch in depth, water spar- 
ingly until growth begins, and be sure that good 
drainage is provided to care for any surplus moisture. 
Tuberous begonias may be wintered in the pots in 
which they were grown, allowing the soil to become 
quite dry, and storing them in a cool but frost-proof 
closet, or they may be lifted and each tuber wrapped 
in waxed paper and stored in a drawer in a cool room. 
Tuberous begonias that have been grown in the open 




RED AND WHITE TULIPS USED AS A BORDER FOR SHRUBBERY 



BULBS FOR SIBIMER BLOOMING 75 

ground must, of course, be lifted, dried and wrapped 
in paper or stored in boxes of dry sand, 

Ismene calathina is a delightfully scented, distinct- 
ive summer flowering bulb, unique in form and color ; 
the beautiful amarjdlis-like blossoms are of the pur- 
est, most glistening white, while the throat is green 
and the anthers spring from the angle of the petals 
instead of from the spadix in the center of the flower. 
The leaves are broad and strap like and of themselves 
form a distinctive and imposing plant. They require 
warmth in starting and may be potted in the house 
or plunged in the hotbed until time to plant out in 
the open ground, about the first of June. Any good 
garden soil will grow them successfully and a shel- 
tered, sunny position on the east or south will be 
favorable. In the fall before the frost has killed the 
foliage the bulbs may be lifted and potted and, after 
a few weeks' rest, be again started into growth for 
winter blooming or the bulbs may be wintered in a 
warm cellar until time to start into growth another 
season. In storing in the cellar they should be placed 
in boxes of dry earth to prevent shrivelling. 

The Ismene is beautiful in front of beds of taller 
growth, especially where they furnish a green back- 
ground which increases the apparent purity of the 
large white flowers. The odor is so delightful that 
it, alone, would furnish a motive for the culture of 
this exquisite summer flowering bulb. 



76 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

Montbretias require the same general treatment as 
gladiolas, and may be used to border beds of these 
flowers with excellent effect. They are very desirable 
for cut flowers, opening freely in water, and are ex- 
ceedingly graceful and dainty. They do not possess 
the range of color of the gladiolas, being found only 
in scarlet and orange shades, but they have a place 
of their own in the summer flower garden, which 
could not well be supplied by any other plant. They 
are stored during winter the same as gladiolas, lifting 
the tubers when the foliage turns, brown, and drying 
for a few clays in a warm, sunny place; then remov- 
ing most of the stalk and storing the bulbs in paper 
sacks and hanging them from the ceiling of a frost- 
proof cellar or garret. 

Tuberoses are more sensitive to cold and dampness 
than most other summer blooming bulbs, and must 
be started in heat and not planted out until all danger 
of frost is past. In preparing the bulbs for potting 
in spring, the thick growth below the bulb should 
all be removed, and all off-shoots. Plant the bulbs 
singly in four-inch pots, setting them with the tip 
just above the surface of the soil, or plant them in 
rows in the hot-bed, and this is preferable, as an even 
temperature is assured Avith less trouble than in the 
house. Plant out when the soil and nights are warm. 
The double pearl tuberose will grow so tall a flower 
spike that staking will be necessary, and for this the 



BULBS FOR SUMMER BLOOMING 77 

bamboo stakes are admirable, as they are less conspicu- 
ous than wooden stakes and, as they do not decay, can 
be used from year to year. 

Tuberoses are excellent combined with gladiolas 
as the blossoms are not conspicuous enough for mass 
planting, but are fine for cutting and for the delight- 
ful, if somewhat heavy, odor. Tuberoses are some- 
times late in blooming, but such plants as have not 
perfected their blooms at the approach of frost may 
be lifted and potted for the house or conservatory, 
as they are not in the least disturbed by the process. 

As the bulbs will not bloom the second year it is 
not necessary to lift those which have finished bloom- 
ing unless one cares to grow the little offshoots for a 
couple of years until they, too, reach blooming size, 
but as the blooming size bulbs can be purchased so 
cheaply this hardly pays for the time expended in 
their care. 

Summer oxalis is a useful little summer-flowering 
bulb, excellent for carpet bedding, for filling up gaps 
in the border caused by the failure of seeds to ger- 
minate or plants to grow. 

The bulbs of this variety of oxalis are so tiny that 
they are usually bought by measure rather than by 
the dozen or hundred. They need only to be pressed 
into mellow soil where they are to bloom. The bulbs 
in spite of their small size have a remarkable vitality 
and energy, and long before it will seem possible for 



78 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

growth to start, the first tiny leaflets will be seen 
breaking the soil and bloom will follow so quickly as 
to seem simultaneous. A warm, sunny situation should 
be chosen, as the flowers are apt to remain closed in 
the shade and on cloudy days. Set the bulbs two to 
three inches apart as allowance must be made for the 
development for the remarkable production of new 
bulbs. When the time comes for lifting the bulbs in 
the fall, not the one little bulb planted in spring will 
be in evidence, but it will be found that a remarkable 
growth has been going on under the ground during 
the summer, of which the delicate flower and foliage 
above ground has given no hint. In place of the 
one little bulb planted in spring a long, fibrous core, 
not unlike the soft cob of an ear of com has formed, 
and, like the corn, it is completely surrounded with 
tiny bulblets, the whole forming a growth from three 
to five inches in length and an inch and a half to two 
inches in diameter. Each of these little bulbs will be 
removed for separate planting in the following spring. 
A tea cup full of bulbs planted in spring will, not in- 
frequently, give a peck of bulbs by fall, and these can 
be sorted and only the largest retained for future 
planting. No other bulbous plant known equals this 
in productiveness. The care in winter is simply to 
lift the bulbs, dry in a warm, sunny position for a, 
few days and store in paper sacks with some light 
chaff — such as buckwheat chaff — among them, in a 



BULBS FOR SUINIMER BLOOMING 79 

dry, frost-proof place until time to replant in spring. 

Tigridias are showy, attractive bulbous plants of 
the summer garden, requiring the same treatment as 
montbretias and gladiolas, except that they are the 
better for starting in warmth, and should be stored 
in a dry place during winter, as they are somewhat 
addicted to mold. They are excellent for combining 
with gladiolas, as they are not sufficiently heavy in 
foliage and flower to be at their best alone. The 
large, showy flowers remain open but one day, but 
each flower is succeeded by another so that blooms 
have the effect of being far more lasting than they 
really are. White with violet markings, golden yel- 
low, golden yellow spotted with crimson, ivory white 
with yellow center spotted with crimson, and rose- 
pink with yellow, variegated center are the principal 
colors, and all are unique and beautiful and well 
worth a place in the flower garden. They are useful 
to combine with hardy lilies, as they furnish bloom 
at a season when these are no longer in evidence; 
indeed, the chief function of many of our summer- 
blooming bulbs is to extend the season of bloom of 
beds devoted to spring or June flowering bulbs and 
perennials. Requiring little room for growth, they 
may be interspersed between the roots of the more 
permanent plants and will benefit from the protec- 
tion these afford from the summer sun and drought. 

Crinums are among the iDulbs which should be 



80 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

considered as summer bedders, for it is the only sys- 
tem of growth which succeeds with this rather diffi- 
cult plant. Under expert culture it is a fine green- 
house and conservatory plant, but is something of a 
failure in amateur hands. If, however, a few simple 
rudiments of culture are mastered it becomes one of 
the most satisfactory bulbous plants grown. 

The crinum makes a very large and solid bulb with 
a long neck, and an abundance of thick, fleshy roots. 
When it is received from the florist most of these 
roots are, necessarily, removed. It has had a season 
of rest and should be in condition at once to begin 
growth and the formation of buds. It should, there- 
fore, be planted out in the open ground as soon as the 
soil and the nights are warm. It must be planted 
in the sunniest, hottest spot available — a position be- 
side a south wall which will draw and retain all the 
heat of the sun is ideal. Very rich soil — one under- 
laid with a foot of old, decayed manure and topped 
with a compost of fibrous loam, sharp sand, leaf mold 
and well rotted, fine manure is best. In this the 
bulbs should be set with the entire neck and a show- 
ing of the top of the bulb above ground. Water very 
freely until the bulbs have made a complete leaf de- 
velopment, and then withhold water entirely, allow- 
ing the plants to dry out and bake, and bake, and 
bake. The hotter and dryer the better. Then with 
the appearance of the first hard rain, great, fleshy 



BULBS FOR SUMMER BLOOMING 81 

buds will appear, in a night, as it were, and will soon 
hold aloft the great rosy -white flowers, indescribably 
sweet and stately. 

After the blooming period is over a second and 
even a third florescence will often follow if similar 
conditions of growth and complete rest are induced. 

The bulbs may be left in the ground as long as 
frost can be kept from them and coldframe or spent- 
hotbed treatment conduces admirably to this, but at 
the coming of cold weather they must be lifted and 
stored in boxes of dry soil in a warm cellar — a fur- 
nace cellar being a favorable place for them — until 
time to plant out again the following June. 



CHAPTER VIII 

PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 

Ornamental leaved plants are by no means con- 
fined to the cannas, caladiums and coleus so much in 
evidence in our summer lawns and gardens. There 
are many hardy perennials of most effective foliage 
that, once planted, increase in decorative value from 
year to year, and make an appreciable difference in 
the care and expense of the grounds. 

For effective permanent planting there is nothing 
more desirable on the lawn than a large round bed of 
ornamental grasses. These, once established, require 
little care beyond an annual removing of the dead 
canes in spring, quickly accomplished by fire, which 
does less damage to the plant than to cut them back, 
leaving the stubs of the old canes to delay the growth 
of the new foliage. A mellow soil composed of wood 
or marsh earth, and good loam enriched with old 
manure, if applied in spring, or a heavy mulch of 
manure in the fall, which may be spaded in in spring, 
is about all they require, but water should be given 

82 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 83 

frequently during mid-summer for the development 
of the tallest canes and generous plumes. 

The tallest of all the ornamental grasses is found 
in the Arundo Donax, which when well established, 
makes a growth in good soil of twenty feet, and can 
be used with good effect for the center of beds of 
lower growth, as it is not as full in its development 
as some of the smaller sorts. 

Erianthus ravennse is an exceptionally fine grass 
which may be grown next to the Arundo Donax, mak- 
ing a growth of twelve to fifteen feet when established 
and showing finer plumes than the Arundo. 

The Eulalias, Japonica and variegata, are beautiful 
both in foliage and manner of growth, being more 
erect and compact than the Erianthus, which has more 
of the fountain-like form of the Gyneriums. The 
variegated form is especially beautiful. Gracilima 
univitata is a lower-growing form of Eulalia and 
can be used as a border plant for the taller sorts. Like 
the Erianthus, it shows a silver midrib and a silvery 
panicle of bloom. To these may be added the hardy 
fountain grass — Pennisetum Japomcum, also a. droop- 
ing sort, but showing a purplish bronze in the flower 
head. 

All but the Arundo Donax can be raised from seed 
sown in spring in a coldframe and wintered under 
glass and set out in pennanent beds the following 
spring. They are all long-lived plants, especially the 



84 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

Erianthus, often enduring twelve or fifteen successive 
years of gTOwtli in one position. Often it will be 
found that volunteer plants have come up in favorable 
spots about the grounds, and these may be lifted and 
transplanted into other beds or in hedges, for which 
there is nothing finer. 

Not the least charm of the hardy grasses is the food 
they afford for the winter birds, who come in flocks 
on snowy mornings to feed on the seeds of the feath- 
ery plumes, and it is indeed a pretty sight to see 
them bend beneath the weight of snowbird, sparrow 
and junco. 

For a background, or for a tall growth in the center 
of beds or plantings of lower form the Aralia Cash- 
meriana is a very ornamental plant with attractive 
foliage and panicles of small white flowers in early 
summer. It grows five to eight feet in height and is 
of easy culture. The bocconia is a stately plant of 
distinctive, glaucus green foliage and stem, the under 
side of the leaves being snowy white, and during 
July and August it is crowned with feathery panicles 
of creamy-white flowers. It makes a noble clump 
which always attracts attention and requires little 
care beyond good soil and to have the rhizome shoots 
destroyed to prevent its spreading beyond bonds. It 
is a long-lived plant, dying to the ground in winter 
and springing up with renewed vigor year after year, 
often remaining twenty years in possession of the same 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 85 

bit of ground. It is easily raised from seed, which 
may be sown in the hotbed in spring and will make 
an effective plant the first season. 

The Giinnera scdbra, or Chilian rhubarb, is a mag- 
nificent ornamental plant ^vhen well grown — ^well- 
established plants forming a clump five feet in height 
and fifteen to twenty feet in diameter. To produce 
this superb growth, however, it must receive liberal 
treatment; rich soil, abundant water supply and a 
sunny but sheltered position and winter protection. 

The large varieties of garden rhubarb make hand- 
some plants under favorable conditions. One growing 
in a corner of my own garden in rich soil and a pro- 
tected position throws up annually flower heads far 
above my own head and produces enormous tropical 
looking leaves of nearly three feet in diameter. 

The Rodgersia podophylla is another stately plant 
requiring about the same conditions as the Giinnera. 
Grown in rich soil in a sunny situation and given 
abundant water it produces its five-lobed leaves from 
two and a half to three feet in diameter, which change 
from bright green to a metallic-brown hue. In addi- 
tion to its ornamental value as a foliage plant it is 
crowned in mid-summer with fluffy sprays of spirea- 
like white flowers. Another form of the Rodgersia 
— the tabularis — ^has an attractive, pale green foliage 
eighteen inches in diameter on three to four foot 
stems. During mid-summer it bears six-foot stems 



86 IMAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

of fluffy white flowers. These two forms should be 
purchased in plant form of the florists. 

The yuccas are too well known as isolated specimens 
to need description, but one would hardly recognize 
this old garden favorite when found growing in 
large, well-cared-for beds, as it appears in the large 
city parks. Yucca filimentosa is the variety em- 
ployed in the parks, and this throws up tall flower 
scapes five or six feet high and is only excelled by 
Yucca filamentosa variegata, which is distinctly mar- 
gined with creamy white. Both these plants should 
be planted in masses for fine effect, and once planted 
will be a permanent and beautiful feature of the 
grounds. Polygonum cuspidatum is a desirable 
hardy ornamental plant for a background for lower 
growth, for filling in waste corners and for many 
places where a free-growing, attractive plant is 
needed. The foliage is handsome and enduring, and 
the plant is entirely free from insect pests of all 
Sorts. In mid-summer it is covered with masses of 
foamy, greenish-white flowers, which spring from the 
axis of every leaf. It makes a rhizome root, so that 
its greatest fault is a tendency to spread, but it is 
easily eradicated, and if the new growths are kept 
down the parent plant will make a much more erect, 
effective growth. It is, at maturity, six feet high. 
The smaller plants are useful in porch boxes and 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 87 

for a screen for sleeping porches. They will thrive 
in any situation and condition. 

There are many low-growing foliage plants among 
the hardy perennials that are useful for edgings for 
beds of ornamental plants, and will thrive with little 
care, increasing in beauty from year to year. 

Among sun-loving plants for warm, sunny posi- 
tions the annual sunflowers are a most interesting 
class of plants. The miniature varieties are especially 
desirable, many of them possessing curiously twisted 
petals like the cactus dahlias, which make the flowers 
exceedingly graceful and picturesque. The <3olors 
range from a nearly white type to a clear lemon, and 
through varying shades to deep, golden yellow. Stella 
has flowers of the richest golden yellow, while Orion, 
an improved variety of Stella, has petals twisted like 
a cactus dahlia. Both of these varieties bear single 
flowers, but there are many double forms well worthy 
of culture. Chrysanthemum-flowered is perfectly 
double and resembles in the fluffy doubleness of its 
flowers a chrysanthemum or aster. Double White 
Miniature has flowers nearly white. 

It is doubtful if a more popular flower has been in- 
troduced in the last score of years than the golden 
glow; this so closely resembles the sunflowers as to 
be considered by many as one of that family; it be- 
longs, however, to the genus Rudbeckia or cone flower. 
Most members of this family are distinguished by a 



88 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

prominent, cone-shaped center from which they de- 
rive their name ; this, in the case of the golden glow 
and other double varieties is not noticeable on account 
of the double character of the flower, but in the purple 
cone flower it is very conspicuous, the rosy-purple 
petals encircling a rich, brown cone dotted with 
golden spots arranged in spiral lines. The flowers 
are very large and conspicuous, often six or seven 
inches in diameter and always attract attention. 
Newmani is a fine flower with bright orange petals 
surrounding a black cone, a striking and conspic- 
uous flower, Fulgida, a double form, closely re- 
sembles the well-known golden glow. Unlike this 
plant, the sunflowers do not increase by throwing out 
young plants around the crown of the old plant in 
such profusion as to make its presence in the garden 
somewhat of an embarrassment at times. It is best, 
in case of the golden glow, to lift and reset it every 
year or two, saving a few of the finest plants and dis- 
carding the rest and giving those retained abundant 
room that they may make stocky, strong-stemmed 
plants less prone to come down under a heavy rain. 
All of this class of plants are of the easiest culture, 
requiring only a warm, sunny position and good, fer- 
tile soil. An occasional cultivation with the hoe or 
a mulching with lawn clippings during the hottest 
weather will do away with the necessity of watering, 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 89 

so insistent in the case of many plants, and reduce 
the care of this class of plants to a minimum. 

There are several varieties of plants that much re- 
semble in color and form, if not in texture, the sun- 
flowers; the sanvitalias, for instance, which bear 
showy, double, bright yellow flowers all summer. 
These may be used to edge beds of dwarf sunflowers. 
The yellow zinnias and the yellow marigold may also 
be used in this connection. All thrive under prac- 
tically the same conditions. The Gaillardias resemble 
somewhat the Rudbeckias, having a distinct center, 
but show colors not found in the sunflowers, and are 
handsomely zoned with two or more colors. Both the 
annual and perennial varieties are easily raised from 
seed, blooming the first season if started early in the 
house or hotbed and continuing until frost. Once 
established they will practically take care of them- 
selves. 

Coreopsis are admirable, slender-stemmed, grace- 
ful flowers excellent for mixing with the more angular 
and stiff sunflower and cone flowers. Like the Gail- 
lardias they are easily raised from seed sown in the 
open ground in May or in boxes in the house in March 
and transplanted to the open ground when the trees 
are coming into leaf. They require little care, and 
where time is at a premium the bed may be put in 
good condition, heavily mulched with lawn clippings 
and then left to take care of itself. The coreopsis is 



90 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

excellent for cutting, having long stems and remain- 
ing in perfection for a long time in water. Indeed, 
all of the flowers listed are remarkable in this re- 
spect. 

Strongly resembling the coreopsis, the calliopsis 
produces its golden yellow flowers throughout the 
summer, rejoicing in the hottest sun and asking little 
attention sav« the room to grow and be beautiful. It 
is easily grown from seed which should be scattered 
where the plants are to bloom and thinned to stand 
eight or ten inches apart. 

Aside from the sunflowers, and flowers which in 
more or less degree resemble them, there are many 
plants which rejoice in a warm, sunny situation and 
may be planted in places where few plants would be 
available. The Eschscholtzias, or California poppies, 
make lovely sheets of bloom and are most effective 
when planted in large masses or used to border, or 
to intersperse, between taller-growing blue flowers, 
such as blue larkspur, blue iris, blue lupins, monks- 
hood, and the like. Though the prevailing color is 
the clearest, most golden yellow, there are several 
hybrids which are a distinct departure from the type. 
Mandarin, for instance, has the inner side of the 
petals of a rich orange, while the outer shows a bril- 
liant scarlet. Rose cardinal shows the inner petals 
white and the outer rose colored. Dainty Queen is a 
pale coral-pink, both inside and out, and Carmine 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 91 

King is, as its name indicates, carmine. Alba is a 
pure white form, but it is in the yellow varieties that 
the flower is best known, and it is this color that is 
recognized as the State Flower of California. 

All of us know, and many of us love that sturdy 
little salamander, the portulaca, which so delights 
in a hot, dry situation. The double flowers are excep- 
tionally attractive, and the plants are fine for edging, 
carpeting under taller-growing plants or for use on 
the rockery. It is only necessary to scatter the seed 
sparsely over the surface of the soil and wait for re- 
sults. Once established in the garden the portulaca 
may be depended upon to come up season after season 
of its own accord. All single flowers should be pulled 
up as soon as they show bloom and not allowed to go 
to seed, as they bear an enormous amount of seed and 
one pod is sufficient to seed an entire bed. Scarlet, 
crimson, white and yellow are the colors produced, 
and all are attractive, but the white are the daintiest 
of all, and look far too delicate for such an exposed 
position as the portulaca delights in. 

Most poppies are sun-loving plants and light up a 
garden with a very blaze of color during their season 
of bloom. This is especially true of the Matilija 
poppy of California, whose great white blossoms are 
borne aloft on tall stems five or six feet high, which 
often bear a dozen or more expanded flowers at one 
time. Almost as distinctive and beautiful is the 



92 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

annual poppy, the Bride, whose great white cups are 
often the size of a pint bowl and borne aloft on stems 
five feet or more. I have grown them, solitary speci- 
mens, in sunny positions, of a size that made it neces- 
sary to bend the flowers down to see the golden 
anthers which made beautiful tKe interior of the 
great white cup. 

The Hunnemannias, or bush Eschscholtzias make 
stocky plants covered with large buttercup-yellow, 
poppy-like blossoms which 'cover the plants through- 
out the summer and fall. The foliage resembles the 
ordinary Eschscholtzias somewhat, having the same 
glaucus color and feathery form. 

The golden bartonia is another showy annual well 
adapted to sunny positions. The foliage is grey, 
downy and thistle-like, the flowers, golden-yellow and 
exceedingly showy and brilliant in the sunshine. The 
seed should be sown where the plants are to bloom, 
as they do not bear transplanting well. 

One of the most satisfactory annuals for the garden 
is found in the Arctotis grandis, with its white, daisy- 
like flowers encircling a golden center and showing 
blue reflexes on the outer side of the petals. It makes 
many-branched plants and is covered from early sum- 
mer until hard frost with its beautiful flowers. No 
flower with which I am acquainted is more valuable 
for cutting, the flowers lasting in water an incredible 
time and the buds opening quite as well as though 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 93 

growing on the plant. They should be placed in a 
sunny position in the house, however, otherwise the 
flowers will remain closed, as they do at night and on 
cloudy days in the open. The plants are easily raised 
from seed, which may be started early in the house or 
hotbed and planted out in May, or the seed may be 
planted in the open ground in May, but earlier flowers 
are obtained by the first method. The Arctotis is 
much given to coming up self-sown, so that once 
established in the garden one is likely to have a per- 
manent supply of it, though it never comes up freely 
enough to be troublesome. 

If one is so fortunate as to have a secluded, unoc- 
cupied spot in garden or lawn, near to a summer 
house or garden seat, he may plant here those flowers 
of the dusk which, shunning the glare and publicity 
of the day, fold close their petals until the shades of 
night draw a protecting screen about them when, lo, 
there spring open to the night blossoms of white and 
of gold, of crimson and pink, filling the air with their 
perfume. 

All fragrant flowers are more searching and subtle 
in their fragrance when wet with the dew, but a few 
only unfold their sweetness to the night. Among the 
few night bloomers probably the best known is the 
old garden favorite, the four o'clock, which opens its 
flowers about that time in the day, continuing in bloom 
until the following morning. These are quite robust 



94 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

plants and bear multitudes of showy flowers which at 
evening emit a strong, agreeable fragrance. Equally 
as well known is the old form of the evening primrose ; 
few of us but can remember the many hours spent, in 
childhood, in a vain attempt to watch the sudden 
unfolding of their yellow cups. A moment's inatten- 
tion and, lo, the closely folded bud of an instant be- 
fore is a wide awake flower smiling at our discom- 
fiture. What is the secret of their unfolding that 
they so jealously guard it? 

One of the most attractive of our night bloomers ia 
the Nicotiana affinis, though this flower remains open 
on cloudy days and in shady positions. It is one of the 
most satisfactory garden plants, and combines so suc- 
cessfully with scarlet flowers that it should be lib- 
erally planted in shady corners where salvias or other 
scarlet flowers will grow. Usually it self sows and 
comes up here and there about the garden. I have 
not sown seed of any of the nicotianas for several 
years, but I never fail of plants of both the Nicotiana 
affinis and Nicotiana sylvestris. Nicotiana sanderioe 
is a newer form of nicotiana, which comes in shades 
of red and is a very free bloomer. It is a rather later 
plant to come into bloom, though if one took pains to 
sow it in the hotbed in spring or in coldframe in fall 
it would give earlier results. I never sow it at all, de- 
pending on volunteer plants, and I find it exceedingly 
useful, as it oomes into bloom at a time when other 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 95 

flowers are scarce, and looks well with the anemones, 
which hear it company in the fall garden. It usually 
comes up along the edges of the path, and I transplant 
it where I wish it to bloom, but last spring I treated 
all garden paths with herbicide, so shall miss my usual 
fall offering of nicotianas. 

The evening flowering stock, matthiola, is of little 
value except for its fragrance, but should be planted 
in conjunction with other evening bloomers. 

Plant the moonflower to cover the seat or arbor; 
this will give an abundance of lovely white flowers at 
night and on cloudy days. Plant either the hardy or 
the annual form. If the latter, soak the seed in warm 
water for some hours before planting. 

These little bits of special gardening add much to 
the interest of plant culture and will frequently make 
available an otherwise waste bit of land. 

Another good use to which an unoccupied corner 
may be put is to devote it to the starting of plants of 
hardy perennials, shrubs or trees from seed. A quite 
small piece of ground planted to seeds of hardy peren- 
nials in August or early September will furnish 
enough plants for an entire hardy garden, and the 
plants thus started will be ready for transplanting 
into permanent quarters at the time the seed would 
be going into the ground in spring, and will bloom the 
same year. Thus one saves a year in time. Many 
kinds of ornamental shrubs and trees may be grown 



96 IMAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

from seed, and one will be so busy with other matters 
that they will arrive at an effective size before one 
realizes that it is to be expected of them. I often 
put off the planting of things of this sort thinking 
it will be so long before they come into size or bloom, 
not realizing that if I had planted them when I first 
thought of it they would have already reached ma- 
turity. 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 
SUN-LOVING PLANTS 

NAME CLASS HEIGHT COLOR SEASON 

Amaranthus Annual 3' - 5' Red shades All summer 

Anchusa Italica Perennial 3' - 5' Blue May-June 

Arctotis grandis Annual 2' - 3' Blue, white July-Aug. 

Argemone hybrida Annual 3' Rich yellow, 

white July 

Asters, in variety Annual 15"-18" Blue, white, red July-6ept. 

Balloon vine Annual 8' -10' White All summer 

Centaurea imperalis . . . Annual 3' White, rose, blue June 

ColeuB Annual 18" Green, bronze, 

crimson All summer 

Cosmos Annual 3' - 5' White, pink, 

crimson Sept.-Oct. 

Dahlias Tuberous 5' - 6' All colors July-frost 

Gallardias An. «fe Per. 8"- 3' Red, white, 

brown All summer 

Gladiolas Tuberous 3' All colors July-frost 

Heleniura Perennial 2'-4'-5'-6' Yellow, red, etc. Aug.-Sept. 

Helianthemum Perennial 4"- 6" Yellow-red July-Sept. 

Helianthus Perennial 4' - 7' Orange shades All summer 

Helianthus, in variety.. Annual 4' - 7' Yellow All summer 

Heliopsis Perennial 3' -48" Golden yellow All summer 

Marigold Annual 12"-15" Yellow All summer 

Nasturtium .Annual 6' -10' All colors All summer 

Oenothera Perennial 12"-18" Rose, white All summer 

Petunias Annual 12"-lo" Red shades, 

white All summer 

Phlox Drummondi Annual 9" All colors June-frost 

Poppies An. & Per. 18"- 3' All colors July 

Portulaca Annual 6" Scarlet, white, 

yellow, rose All summer 

Pyrethrum Perennial 18" Red shades, 

white June-fall 

Rhexia Perennial 9" Rosy purple All summer 

Rodgersia Perennial 3' - 5' White All summer 

Romneya Perennial 3' - 5' White July 

Scabiosa Annual 2W All colors July 

Scabiosa Perennial 18"- 2' White, blue June-Sept. 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 97 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 
SUN-LOVING PLANTS (Continued) 



NAME CLASS 

Stokesia. Perennial 

Sweet Peas, in variety. .Annual 
Tagetes Annual 



18" 


Blue, white 


3'- 6' 


All colors 


12" 


Yellow 



SEASON 
June-Sept. 
All summer 
All summer 



SHADE-LOVING PLANTS 

NAME CLASS HEIGHT COLOR SEASON 

Anemonopais Perennial 2' Violet Late summer 

Chamajlirium Perennial Creamy-yellow June 

Claytonia Perennial 6" Pinkish-white May 

Convallaria Perennial 6" White May 

Digitalis Perennial 3' - 4' White, rose, 

mauve All summer 

Ferns. Perennial 1' - 3' Green,variegatedAll summer 

Marshallia Perennial 15" White Aug. 

Podophyllum Perennial 3' Pink May 

Polemonium Perennial 12" Blue, white May- June 

Polygonatum Perennial 3' White May-June 

Primulas Perennial 6"- 9" White, yellow, 

red May 

Prunella Perennial Dwarf Purple All summer 

Shortia Perennial 6" White Early spring 

Spirsea Aruncus Perennial 3' - 5' White June-July 

Spirjea Filipendula .... Perennial 15" White, touched 

with pink June-July 

Spir-Tea gigantea Perennial 5' - 6' White June-Julv 

Spiraea Ulmaria Perennial 3' - 4' White June-July 

Spirsea palmata Perennial 3' Crimson June-July 

Stenanthium Perennial 4'- 5' White Aug. 

Tricirtia Perennial 18" White, spotted 

brown Fall 

Trillium Perennial 12"-15" White, crimson IMay 

Vinca Perennial 4" Blue June 



TALL-GROWING PLANTS FOR BACKGROUNDS AND 

SCREENS 

NAME CLASS HEIGHT COLOR SEASON 

Aralia Cashmeriana Perennial 5'- 8' White June 

Bocconia Perennial 6' - 8' White Aug. 

Campanula pyramidalis. Perennial 4'- 6' Blue Aug. 

Canna, in variety Bedder 3'- 6' White, reds, 

^ , , . yellow All summer 

Cephalana Perennial 6' Yellow June 

Cosmos Annual 3' - 5' Pink, white, 

^ , , . . crimson Sept. 

Delphiniums Perennial 4' - 6' Blue, white, 

purple June-fall 

Grasses, ornamental. . .Perennial 4' -12' Green All summer 

Helianthus Perennial 3' - 6' Yellow Jime-frost 

Hibiscus Perennial 4' - 5' White, pink Aug.-Sept. 



98 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

TALL-GROWING PLANTS FOR BACKGROUNDS AND SCREENS 
(Continued) 
NAME CLASS HEIGHT COLOR SEASON 

Hollyhock Perennial 6' - 1' White, pink, yel- 

low, crimson, 
white Aug. 

Nicotiana sylvestris Perennial V - V White July-frost 

Physostegia Perennial 4' - 6' White, pink ^ July- Aug. 

Polygonum Perennial 6' Greenish white Aug.-Sept. 

RicinusBorboniensis... Annual 15' Green All summer 

Ricinuszanzibariensis,. Annual 6'- 8' Bronze, green All summer 

Spiraea, in variety Perennial 3' - 5' White, red, pink May-June 

Stenanthium Perennial 4' - 5' White Aug. 

Yucca Perennial 5' - 6' Creamy white June-July 



LOW-GROWING PLANTS FOR EDGING, BEDDING 
AND THE LIKE 

NAME CLASS HEIGHT COLOR SEASON 

Acaena Perennial Cushion-like Crimson spines All summer 

Ajuga Perennial Carpet Purplish blue May 

Alchemilla Perennial Rock Inconspicuous All summer 

Alyssum Annual Trailing White All summer 

Alyssum saxatile Perennial 1' Yellow June-July 

Arabis alpina Perennial Carpet White April-May 

Armeria Perennial 9" Pink All summer 

Aubretia Perennial Rock Crimson, purple May- June 

Bellis (English daisy)... Perennial 6"- 8" Pink, white, 

crimson All summer 

Campanula Carpatica. .Perennial 6"- 9" White, blue All summer 

Cerastium Perennial 6" White, silvery 

foliage June 

Draba Perennial Dwarf rock White April-May 

Glechomo Perennial Creeping Foliage only All summer 

Hieracium Perennial Low-growing Orange, red Mid-summer 

Iberis Perennial 8"-10" White Spring 

LobcUa, Crystal Palace. Annual 6" Deep blue June- Nov. 

Lobelia heterophilla. . . . Annual 6" Sky-blue June-frost 

Lychnis Viscaria Perennial 1' Deep red June 

Morning glorj% dwarf. . .Annual 1' White, rose, blue All summer 

Phlox Drummondi Annual 15" All colors All summer 

Portulaca Annual 6" Rose, scarlet, 

white, yellow All summer 

Primula Perennial 6"- 9" Yellow, orange, 

crimson Spring 

Prunella Perennial Low Purple ^ All summer 

SantoUna Perennial JiDwarf Evergreen with 

silvery-white 

^ foliage All summer 

Sanvitalia Annual Dwarf Bright yellow All summer 

Sedum Perennial 6"- 8" White, yellow, 

crimson, pink June-Sept. 
Saxifraga (Mogasea). . .Perennial 12" Pink, rose, 

• crimson April-May 

Saxifragassarmentosa.. Perennial Trailing Silvery foliage All summer 

Tunica Perennial Low tufted Pink All summer 

Viola (Tufted pansies) . . Perennial 6" White, yellow, 

blue. All summer 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS SITUATIONS 99 

The foregoing list of plants, while fairly compre- 
hensive, is by no means exhaustive but is rather 
intended to direct the reader's search for special 
plants for special positions. Almost any good floral 
catalogue — Dreer's specially — will give detailed de- 
scriptions of the several plants and their various 
varieties from which intelligent selections may be 
made. 

The heights given the various plants, as well as 
their season of bloom must be taken as approximate 
rather than definite, as the part of the country in 
which they are grown will have much to do with the 
size they attain. The nearer their native habitat they 
are planted the more generous, of course, will be their 
development. Then, too, the matter of a poor or gen- 
erous soil, the amount of cultivation and general care 
will all be determining factors in the size they attain, 
their period of bloom, and size of bloom. 

In the matter of vines the water supply is im- 
portant, and the supplying of an adequate support 
will determine in a large measure the height to which 
they will grow. Certain vines, as for instance, the 
trumpet vine, if given a low support will grow to the 
top of it and then form a bushy head, ceasing, for all 
practical purposes, to be a vine. Such a trumpet vine 
growing on my own premises by the side of a gate 
post assumed this voluntary form, while a sister plant 
in the more favorable position supplied by a taU pear 



100 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

tree flaunts its blossom from the topmost branches. 
Another trumpet vine of which I knew, found en- 
trance beneath the siding of a house and grew up- 
wards, through the dark to the eaves of the second 
story, where it emerged and formed a bushy top, con- 
tinuing to grow and bloom for years. For these rea- 
sons it is difficult to give a definite height for vines. 
Low-growing plants — rock plants, ground plants 
which creep or trail and have no upright measure — 
are seldom specified in feet and inches. 



CHAPTER IX 



The growing of roses is a thing apart in the garden 
calendar; no other flower exacts so large a toll of 
patience, care and labor as the rose ; no other flower 
repays so roj-ally in bloom and fragrance. It should 
be of the garden a thing apart, rare, cherished and a 
source of much sweet exultation and pride, every 
bloom a cause for rejoicing. It should have a place 
to itself, for the rose is an aristocrat among flowers 
and impatient of the presence of other forms of 
flower life. If there cannot be a space set apart for 
a real rose garden, then at least a bed to themselves 
should be accorded or, if roses for cutting are all that 
is desired, then a row through the vegetable garden 
will give excellent results, as the cultivation will be 
more certain and thorough. This is especially desir- 
able in the growing of teas and hybrid teas. Out of 
nearly a hundred roses planted the past year a row of 
two dozen hj^brid teas planted in a continuous row 
through the garden, with such low-growing things 
as beets and parsley planted on either hand did much 

101 



102 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the best, giving a constant succession of bloom all 
summer and was still covered with buds when severe 
freezing weather sent the plants into their winter 
covering to sleep until the bluebird's song should 
awaken them in spring. 

A piece of land lying towards the east and south 
is best for the rose garden, as they are essentially 
flowers of warmth and sunshine. Some protection 
against rough winds on north and west is always bene- 
ficial, but should not be too close. 

A rich, mellow loam, containing a portion of clay 
and well enriched with old, well-rotted stable manure, 
dug very deep and well drained, is essential for best 
results ; where no clay is present in the soil it can be 
added and is well worth while. All the plants grown 
in pots for shipment in nurseries are grown in clay, 
and this is one reason they so well withstand shipping 
to distant points, as the clay adheres tenaciously to 
the roots, protecting them from injury. This it does 
when grown in beds, and less damage occurs from the 
ground freezing in winter or drying out in summer, 
as the roots are never entirely exposed to drought 
and cold. Clay also adds to the richness of the color. 

The ground should be prepared, if possible, enough 
in advance of the receipt of the plants to have become 
settled, as newly worked ground is too porous for 
planting. A heavy rain after spading will put it in 
good condition. Should the weather be too cold or 



THE AMATEUR'S ROSE GARDEN lOS 

wet when the plants arrive they should be unpacked 
in a cool place, away from the wind, and if only a 
day or two is to elapse they need only be taken from 
the packages and stood upright on a table or in a box, 
setting the plants close together but with the tops 
uncovered. Generally roses reach one in excellent 
condition, the earth on the roots intact and the moss 
and paper quite damp; if in this condition nothing 
more will be required, but if somewhat dry the tops 
should be sprayed, allowing the water -to run down 
inside the papers. If very dry it will be best to im- 
merse the roots in lukewarm water until well soaked. 
Plants which come by mail with all earth removed 
should not be put at once in the open ground, but 
should be potted off in small pots not over three 
inches and allowed to rest and recover before plant- 
ing. As a general thing roses will need no protection 
when planted out in early spring, but if there is much 
hot sun a screen on the west is beneficial and can be 
supplied by driving two or three stakes along the rows 
and tacking a strip of matting or burlap to them. 
This will protect from the sun without depriving 
the plants of air. 

Any bruised or broken roots should be removed with 
a sharp knife, and any broken or straggly branches, 
but the majority of roses will need little pruning. 

Only roses on their own roots should ever be pur- 



104 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

chased. Grafted roses invariably run to stock suckers 
and are a bad investment at any price. 

Individual preference will, of course, be an impor- 
tant factor in the selection of varieties, but where an 
abundance of cut flowers is desired -there is no ques- 
tion that the preference should go to the hybrid teas ; 
these, once established, will give constant bloom from 
May until hard frost, and the blooms will grow finer 
and more and more beautiful as the plant increases 
in size and strength. If notable-sized flowers rather 
than quantity is desired then all but the terminal 
bud on each spray should be removed ; this is an ad- 
vantage, too, in cutting, as then there is no compunc- 
tion over sacrificing buds, as there is when all the 
buds are allowed to remain. It would be difficult 
to name a short list of most desirable teas where all 
are so good, but it is safe for the amateur to start 
out with the several varieties of Cochet (pronounced 
''Cocha,") white, red, pink, crimson and yellow; the 
several Killarneys, Radiance, Charles Dingee, Madam 
Baden, Edward Mawley, and add to these as one's 
taste suggests. Of the hybrid perpetuals one should 
include Frau Karl Druschki, (the best white rose to 
date). Gen. Jacqueminot, Virginia Coxe, Paul Ney- 
ron. Prince Camile de Rohan, Fisher Holmes and 
Baroness Rothschilde. Virginia Coxe is listed as a 
hybrid tea but has the hardiness of the hybrid per- 



THE AMATEUR'S ROSE GARDEN 105 

petuals, so I plant it with those roses ; it is, of all red 
roses, the sweetest and reddest. 

In my opinion climbing roses run altogether too 
much to the rambler class. To be feure a well grown 
and well cared for rambler is very beautiful when in 
full bloom in June, but has little to recommend it 
the balance of the season, and might well be relegated 
to a less important place than a front porch and its 
room given to the large flowered, perpetual bloomers 
like climbing American Beauty, Mrs. Robert Peary — 
an exquisitely beautiful rose of tea type with wonder- 
ful buds of creamy white — Meteor and climbing 
Wooten, both exceptionally rich colored red roses of 
tea type, white Maman Cochet, Papa Gontier and 
others of the class. Where a rambler is wanted a 
better selection than crimson rambler is the ever 
blooming crimson rambler. Flower of Fairfield. Lady 
Gay, a cherry colored and white of most delicate 
beauty is one of the best of its class and a very free 
grower. The much advertisedlblue rose Veilchanblau 
is more curious than beautifuf, being a violet rather 
than a blue, but is a very vigorous grower, making 
beautiful strong canes with handsome foliage. 

Summer care consists of three important features 
— feeding, cultivating and fighting insect pests; the 
last should really come first, and last and all the time 
as there is little let-up, from the unfolding of the first 
leaf bud until frost, to the incursion of plant lice, 



106 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

thrips, slugs and mildew. Fortunately the rose bugs 
appear but once in a season, but the aphis w» have 
always with us. With a good water supply many 
pests may be kept in check by spraying for from 
fifteen minutes to half an hour each day, but this will 
have no effect on blight, mildew and ills of that na- 
ture. A good insecticide — or several — should be at 
hand from early spring on. Before the first leaves 
appear spraying once a week with bordeaux mixture 
will control most of the ills the rose is heir to, espe- 
cially black spot and blight. Lime sulphur solution 
is remedial for mildew and as a tonic, while hot water 
about one hundred and forty degrees will effectually 
remove all lice and slugs if used so that it reaches the 
under as well as the upper side of the foliage. Where 
the plants are slender enough to allow of dipping 
the tips of the branches into a dish of hot water very 
thorough work can be done with lice. The slugs work 
from the ground up so the water must be applied in 
the form of a spray. Picking all leaves that show 
perforations and destroying them is a great help ; 
spraying with hellebore is also a standard remedy 
against slugs. Black spot is controlled by spraying, 
but every diseased leaf should be picked and burned. 
Always the new growth must be watched for lice as 
they appear first at the tip of the branches, where 
they may be easily controlled, but once spread to the 



THE AMATEUR'S ROSE GARDEN 107 

under side of the leaves their eradication is more 
difficult. 

Sufficient manure should be spaded into the beds, 
together -vith rather coarse bone meal to supply the 
early growing needs of the plants, but at the appear- 
ance of buds additional food should be supplied ; this 
may take the form of liquid manure prepared by fill- 
ing a barrel with manure and water. A large lard 
barrel is a good size to use ; this should be burned out 
to remove the grease and fitted with a wooden spig- 
ot an inch or two above the bottom on one side. 
The barrel should be set on a box or other support 
high enough to allow a watering can to be set under 
the spigot. Several inches of clean straw should be 
put in the bottom, then fill to the top with manure 
free from straw, cow manure being best. Then fill 
with water and cover to exclude flies. When needed 
draw off the liquid, replacing it with water so that the 
barrel is kept full all the time until the liquid be- 
comes too weak to be of use. The barrel should stand 
in the shade in an inconspicuous but handy place. 
The liquid should be applied at regular intervals of 
once a week, but should not be given when the soil is 
dry — after a rain or watering with the hose is best — 
and its application should be followed the next morn- 
ing with cultivation to restore the dust mulch. 

Cultivation should be continuous throughout the 
growing season. Where the plants are in straight, 



108 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

long rows which admit of the use of the wheel culti- 
vator it should be used, but where that is imprac- 
ticable the hoe and scuffle hoe must be depended on. 
The scuffle hoe if held quite upright can be made to 
do quite deep cultivating and is invaluable for creat- 
ing a dust mulch. The beds should not be allowed 
to dry out, but if faithful use is made of the cultiva- 
tor or hoe it will not be necessary to water more than 
once a week, but that watering should be thorough, 
soaking down to the roots of the plants, then followed 
the next morning with a level cultivation. 

A thorough cultivation to loosen up the soil in the 
afternoon, followed by a good watering and an appli- 
cation of liquid manure towards evening and a light 
scuffling of the soil in the morning to produce the dust 
mulch, will be a good order to follow and will keep 
the beds in flourishing condition for a week. 

Cut all flowers as fast as they bloom, allowing none 
to wither on the plant and taking as long stems as 
possible; cutting down to a strong, outward turning 
bud will increase the number of blooming shoots and 
the thriftiness and vigor of the plants. 



CHAPTER X 

WINDOW AND PORCH BOXES 

The box may be as simple or as elaborate as one's 
means permit, but it must be borne in mind that the 
contents are the primal idea in its inception, the thing 
for which the box exists and, when once planted and 
sufficiently grown to be really effective, little if any- 
thing of the box will be seen. That it should be sub- 
stantial and roomy enough for the purpose, inconspic- 
uous enough to detract nothing from the contents 
and, if of wood, of a style and color to correspond 
with the house is really all that is required. 

The metal boxes have much to recommend them, as 
they contain reservoirs for the storage of water and 
thus require less attention than one of wood, but 
simple boxes made from six or eight-inch lumber, well 
caulked with white lead before nailing together, sup- 
plied with a drainage hole near the bottom at one 
end, and fitted with a plug, will answer every pur- 
pose. Even the boxes in which scythes come can be 
utilized quite satisfactorily, but will require more 
water than a more substantially built box. A box 

109 



110 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

eight inches deep and nine wide and as long as the 
window casing is a satisfactory size for single win- 
dows; oriole window and porch boxes will need to be 
somewhat larger. 

The boxes should be placed so that the top is im- 
mediately below the window sill and securely sup- 
ported, especially if under second story windows 
where the results of breaking loose would be very 
serious. 

Plants placed in the restricted confines of a win- 
dow box will require rich soil and a mixture composed 
of fibrous loam, or earth taken just below the crown 
of the grass from old sod, mixed with bone meal and 
old, well decayed manure is best. For north windows 
where ferns, begonias and the like will be grown the 
addition of leaf mold and sharp, white sand will be 
desirable, but on an exposed western side a heavier 
soil will be required. Fill the boxes quite full to be- 
gin with and in setting the plants press the earth 
very firmly about them, leaving the surface somewhat 
lower in the center than at the edges so that the water 
may remain more in the body of the box. 

When the boxes are to be filled with plants from 
the greenhouse the roots should be disturbed as little 
as possible. Simply press pot and all into the soil 
so as to make a hole the size and shape of the pot ; 
then invert the pot on the hand, tap it against the 
side of the box to loosen the ball of earth and slip it 



WINDOW AND PORCH BOXES 111 

into the hole, pressing the soil about it. Planted in 
this way the boxes may go at once into the positions 
they are to hold. 

When plants are received by mail for the purpose 
they should have one of two treatments — they should 
either be potted off into pots and set in the shade for 
a few days until they have established themselves suffi- 
ciently to be turned out of the pot in a firm ball, or 
the boxes themselves should be put in a shady po- 
sition, planted and allowed to start growth before be- 
ing placed where they are required. Observance of 
this rule will avoid many disappointments in window 
box culture. 

Boxes may be very inexpensively equipped by plant- 
ing with cuttings from the house-plants, by placing 
them in some frost-proof, convenient place early in 
IMarch and simply sticking cuttings of geraniums, 
fuchsias, vincas, and like plants where they are 
wanted; they will root quickly at this time of year 
and grow on very satisfactorily. 

Very attractive and inexpensive window and porch 
boxes may be developed by the use of common garden 
plants raised from seed. The bright colors which 
make the boxes so charming are especially noticeable 
in many of the summer annuals. The Phlox Drmnr- 
mondi give an infinite varietj^ of pinks, scarlets, dark 
reds and white and are indefatigable bloomers, har- 
monizing exquisitely with the pinks and dark reds. 



112 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

The ageratums are equally floriferous. Both the sin- 
gle and double petunias are exceptionally fine in boxes 
and choice should be made of the large or giant 
fringed sorts with their wonderful coloring and deep 
throats. Scarlet and white verbenas and white candy- 
tuft — this latter should have fresh sowings at inter- 
vals of two weeks — nasturtiums (these more espe- 
cially for porch boxes) ; the dwarf scarlet zinnias, 
schizanthus, lobelias, dwarf morning glories, all may 
be utilized for window boxes at a cost of a few dimes. 
As a general thing window boxes call for trailing 
rather than climbing vines, but there is usually much 
sameness in selection, trailing vinca, moneywort and 
the like being too often in evidence. Vinca, however, 
is very attractive if rather stiff, but is improved by 
nipping off the ends to induce it to branch, when it 
looks less lank. The variegated ivy geraniums are 
more attractive and have the added beauty of abun- 
dant and lovely bloom. Wandering Jew in the colored 
forms is especially good and for east and north win- 
dows the trailing fuchsias, abutilons and begonias are 
all beautiful and produce a most artistic box. There 
is one plant which I especially affect for north and 
east boxes — Panicum excurrens or palm grass. This 
is not listed by northern florists, but can be procured 
from any southern florist and is very striking with its 
long palm like leaves about three inches wide and as 



WINDOW AND PORCH BOXES 113 

many feet long, arching gracefully over the sides of 
the box. 

For vines which both climb and trail, festoon and 
drape themselves about the box in graceful profusion 
there is nothing more charmingly delicate than the 
maurandia, and the white flowered solanum and scar- 
let manetta vine are especially pretty when grown 
together. "Where a tall climbing vine is desired there 
are three especially desirable vines to choose, the 
Cohaea scandens, the various Passilflora — P. Pfordtii, 
for preference — and the Japanese morning glory. 
Any one of these will climb to an upstairs window, 
blooming every step of the way, and are easy to 
control. 

For south and west window boxes all the bright, 
sun-loving plants may be grown, geraniums, camphor 
geraniums, feverfew, petunias, verbenas, justitias, 
heliotropes, ageratums, Phlox Drummondi and coleus 
— if the tops are kept pinched back so that they do 
not get ** leggy. '* Anything that would do well in 
similar exposures in the open ground may be used in 
the south or west box. 

Those plants which love the morning sun, but shrink 
from the full glare of the sun at high noon and later, 
should find a home in the east boxes. Petunias, of 
course, which do well anywhere, ageratums, helio- 
tropes, fuchsias, tuberous begonias, fancy leaved cal- 
adiums, Panicum excurre^is, aralias, aspidistras bou- 



114 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

gainvilleas, cissus, discolor crotons, Impatiens Sul- 
tanas, and so on. 

North window boxes are, aside from brilliant color, 
the most charming of all, for plants do so exceed- 
ingly well here if a proper selection is made. All the 
house ferns — Boston, Sword ferns, holly, Pteris 
tremida, aspleniums and the like ; the asparagus ferns, 
especially Asparagus Spre7igeri; the begonias, espe- 
cially the ornamental leaved varieties other than the 
Rex; many of the smaller palms, the palm grass, 
abutilons, fuchsias. Wandering Jew, vincas, cissus dis- 
color, will all thrive and show a freshness of green 
unknown to other exposures, and lack of brilliant 
bloom is compensated for by combining those plants 
with variegated foliage as the abutilons, the spotted 
farfugium, the variegated silver and purple Wander- 
ing Jew, and so on. 

General summer care consists principally in sup- 
plying abundant water, in keeping the vines in check, 
removing all dead leaves and nipping back too am- 
bitious plants for, unless it is desiretl to screen the 
window underneath which the boxes are placed, they 
should not be allowed to obstruct the view; for this 
reason only those plants of moderate growth should 
be selected. For porch boxes, placed at a level with 
the floor and used in a measure as a source of privacy, 
taller plants may be selected and anything used which 
will thrive in a restricted area. I have used the 



WINDOW AND PORCH BOXES 115 

Polygonum cuspidatum with excellent results in win- 
dow and porch boxes where a mass of foliage was 
desired as a screen rather than a floral display. It 
is a very handsome plant with its ovate leaves of a 
rich green, red stems and, in August, wealth of foamy 
flowers of a greenish white. White, by the way, is 
about the most valuable color in all window planting 
and should be used freely, especially with shades of 
red and yellow and to lighten up an otherwise too 
sombre planting. The Polygonum., by the way, is 
good for sleeping porch boxes as it furnishes a screen, 
and climbing rather than trailing vines may be 
selected. For balconies I always like bright flowers 
as, being rather high, the softer colors are rather in- 
conspicuous. Trailing vines, too, are to be preferred 
and the nasturtiums are desirable. So common a vine 
as the wild cucumber can be used to advantage if it 
is removed as soon as it begins to fade. Its delicate 
flowers are lovely with pink geraniums, petunias, 
justitias and the like. 



CHAPTER XI 



VINES FOR EVERY PLACE 



A DIFFERENT Vine for each position is quite pos- 
sible, for nature has been generous indeed in her of- 
fering of material to soften and beautify the rugged 
face of a cliff or the gnarled trunk of a tree. Vines 
follow fleet-footed on the trail of death and decay to 
cover with blooming spray and fruited branch and 
create a new life more beautiful than that which 
has passed. The wild clematis and convolvula flaunt 
their blooms from tree and fence row; the wild cu- 
cumber makes delicate tracery of green and foamy 
white flowers along the debris of the neglected ravine ; 
the woodbine flaunts from the crown of the dead 
monarch of the forest, and the wild grape — that 
sweetest of the vitis family when in bloom — haunts 
the woods and uplands where the wild elderberry 
grows. 

All are cosmopolite in their requirements, flourish- 
ing quite as well in the suburban garden or the city 
back yard as in their native woodland habitat. All 
that is really essential for successful growth is some- 

116 



VINES FOR EVERY PLACE 117 

thing for the vine to cling to and cover, for that is 
really the life of the vine; frustrate that intention 
and it withers and dies. Being, for the most part, 
things of the wild the more natural the conditions of 
growth and especially the fare provided, the more 
successful is their culture apt to prove. Growing in 
a wild state they are usually found well footed in 
deep leaf mold and mellow loam, with conditions af- 
fording protection to the roots from sun and drought. 
Unfortunately many of the places for which vines 
are desired in our gardens and about our houses do 
not afford these conditions. A place against the side 
of a house, for instance, is about as discouraging 
for a vine or plant as can well be selected; a place 
in front of a broad porch, especially one with wooden 
floor and latticed foundation is far better, as the soil 
here is liable to be natural and not composed of the 
hard pan, broken stone, brick and lime that usually 
distinguishes that in close proximity to the house 
walls. 

When, however, these unfortunate conditions pre- 
vail there is but one remedy — the digging of a wide 
and deep hole, removing the soil and replacing with 
a good compost from the compost heap, manure pile 
and garden. Especial attention must be given to this 
matter of soil, for a vine is a permanent planting, not 
to be changed as long as the vine survives, which may 
exceed in years that of the gardener who plants it. 



118 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

At any rate it is likely to be a matter of years during 
which the vine will demand more and more in the way 
of sustenance, which now can only be supplied in the 
way of top dressing. 

Where the soil about the house is fairly good, even 
then planting close to the wall has disadvantages, as 
the plant is apt to suffer for lack of moisture, the 
tendency being for the water to run away from the 
house, and on the side which receives little rain the 
ground is naturally quite dr}^ For this reason it is 
better to plant the vine out a distance from the wall, 
even as much as three feet sometimes, according to 
conditions. This need not interfere with the care of 
the lawn or leave an unsightly bare spot, as it is only 
necessary to lay back the sod, set the vine in a deep 
hole of fine soil and bury the stem of the vine under 
the sod up to a point a few inches from the wall, 
where it may emerge and attach itself to the support 
provided. 

Certain vines, like the trumpet vine, the woodbine, 
the climbing hydrangea, will send out roots along the 
buried stem and so perfect a much better root system 
than when planted in the usual way. 

The matter of support is also of much importance 
and should, if possible, be provided from the start, as 
a failure to find support at once often results in the 
loss of a vine or much lost energy and growth in the 
search. Such vines as attach themselves to walls by 



VINES FOR EVERY PLACE 119 

aerial rootlets need no support other than to be 
brought close to the wall at the start, so that the 
young rootlets may lay hold while still full of sap. 
If they once dry out their usefulness is lost and a vine 
long enough to be blown about by the wind will sel- 
dom make a firm attachment to a wall. 

Vines which require netting for support — as the 
various clematis — should have it in place when 
planted. Most of the clematis are guite hardy, but 
a few, those that bloom on the last season's wood, as 
Madam Edward Andrea, are better for being laid 
down during winter and for this reason the netting 
should not be nailed to the wall of the house, but to 
strips of wood, which in turn may be fastened to 
hooks in the wall so that the netting can be easily 
detached and rolled up on the ground and protected. 
Vines that do well on cords, as most of the annual 
vines, are easily cared for by taking two strips of 
wood, one for top and one for the bottom, and driv- 
ing fence staples in them about a foot apart and run- 
ning twine — butcher's twine is good — back and forth 
through the staples from top to bottom. When the 
time comes to remove the vines it is easily done by 
untying the ends of twine and pulling them ou#, leav- 
ing the vines in a bunch on the ground where they 
are easily removed. This is far easier than pulling 
the vines away from the twine. 

A vigorous growing vine throws off a greater quan- 



120 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

tity of water through its leaves than any other kind 
of vegetable growth, and to meet this heavy evapo- 
ration must receive an abundant water supply, and 
not only is this necessary at the root, but frequent 
spraying of the foliage will add much to its beauty 
and health. The Japanese Ipomaea is a notable ex- 
ample of this need of moisture. Give it enough to 
moisten the soil and it will grow and bloom, but give 
it enough to soak the soil to a puddle, after a season 
of ordinary watering and the blossoms will almost 
double in size over night. It must not only have suf- 
ficient moisture to make the food in the soil available 
— for in dry soil the food is locked up — ^but enough 
for a good drink besides, a drink that will reach clear 
to the topmost tendrils. 

The choice of a vine is not only a matter of beauty 
or of hardiness ; it must be one of suitability also. If 
an object is to be screened against the sun or against 
curious observation, then a dense growing vine should 
be selected, such as the Aristolochia Sipho, the Am- 
pelopsis VeitcJd, Ampelopsis Lowii or iricolor — ^this 
last a delightful vine, both in its manner of growth, 
its beautiful grape-shaped foliage marbled with pink, 
white and grey on a green ground, its peacock-blue 
berries in late fall and its perfect hardiness. It does 
admirably on a north exposure and if a low wall is to 
be covered it may be cut down to within three feet 
of the ground every fall and will make a rank growth 



VINES FOR EVERY PLACE 121 

the following year. Indeed I think it is more beauti- 
fully marbled when so cut back, as the new growth 
is more in evidence, being lower. 

The wild grape should be grown, if only for its 
entrancing fragrance when in bloom. All the Vitis 
family are admirable, but there is one less well known 
that is the most beautiful of all the family — Vitis 
Eenryana — a variety with five lobed leaves resembling 
dark green velvet with a silver mid-rib ; to my mind 
the most beautiful vine I have seen. 

Schizophragma hydrangeoides is another remark- 
ably fine vine, very rarely seen, but which should be 
far better known. Perhaps its rather high initial cost 
may have something to do with its rarity, small plants 
costing a dollar, but it would be cheap at a much 
higher price were one more familiar with its merits. 
Imagine a fine hydrangea climbing up the wall of 
the house — for it is a self-supporting vine, clinging 
firmly to stone, brick and even to wood — and covered 
in June with great heads of white, blooms similar to 
Hydrcmgea paniculaia, but unlike the latter in that 
the blooms do not turn pink as they fade, but retain 
their creamy white color. The foliage is ovate, dark 
green and waxy and the thick, woody stems red. It 
is a vine that always attracts attention, either in 
leaf, flower or naked branches, and is of the easiest 
culture, doing best on the north or east side of the 



122 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

house, in good woodsy soil, and requiring no protec- 
tion in the severest winters. 

Unless a very large space is to be covered most of 
the clematis should be cut back in fall or early spring. 
Clematis paniculata (Virgin's Bower) can be cut to 
the ground every year and be all the more tractable 
for it. In fact, it is apt to grow unmanageable unless 
cut back severely every year, but the large flowered 
type is not sufficiently hardy as a rule to make much 
cutting necessary, the frost usually giving more than 
the needed assistance. Frequently the clematis will 
make a fine show the early part of the summer, then 
suddenly wither and die, and examination usually 
shows a punctured stem and a pinkish worm occupy- 
ing the hollow thus formed. When this happens there 
isn't much help for the top of the plant, though it 
will grow again from the root, but keeping a watch 
of the plant may prevent the invasion. The presence 
of fresh green sawdust anywhere about a stem is al- 
ways a sign of mischief and if found before too large 
a cavity is made the worm can be removed or killed 
by running a wire up the hole and protecting the 
wound with absorbent cotton, a bit of gum or anything 
that will exclude air. Where wounds are near the 
surface of the ground, drawing earth up about it is 
often successful. 

The Bignonia radicals is a very showy and effective 
vine when covered with the bloom in July. It clings 



VINES FOR EVERY PLACE 123 

to any stone, brick or wooden support and should 
never be pulled loose, as it will seldom attach itself 
anew. It is effectively grown as a hedge when the 
plants may be set three feet apart and trimmed up to 
the height desired before being allowed to branch. It 
will then throw out long, stout canes from this point 
which droop and present a mass of bloom in season. 
It makes a very handsome standard trained to a 
stake until of required height. The Bignonia has one 
great fault — that of spreading after the plants attain 
age ; for this reason it should not be allowed to form 
seed as these will scatter in February or March and 
come up in unexpected places, and volunteer plants 
from the root are even more troublesome. If the plant 
could be set in a walled enclosure so as to be forced 
to remain there it would be a much more desirable 
tenant of the garden, but it is so fine when in full 
bloom that, for the time at least, one forgives it the 
sin of being too often in evidence. 

The Actmidias are also -very useful for covering 
arbors, porches or for positions requiring dense shade. 
For positions where a light vine is more suitable the 
akebia and large-flowered clematis are desirable and 
there are many charming annual vines which can be 
easily raised from seed sown either in the hotbed or 
in the open ground. One of the prettiest of all these 
is found in the Bryonopsis. This belongs to the gourd 
family, but has pale green, smooth, ivy-like foliage 



124 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

and is completely covered with small green fruit about 
the size of gooseberries, green mottled with white at 
first, but turning as they mature to a rich cardinal 
red. They appear at the axil of every leaf and when 
the vine has a chance to run along a horizontal wire 
they are lovely indeed. In the fall, sprays of the 
fruit may be brought in the house and will remain 
perfect for some time. 

The Japanese morning glories are the most charm- 
ing of the summer blooming vines. For best results 
one should buy the seed in separate, named packets 
and start the seed in flats or tiny pots in house or 
hotbed, soaking the seed in warm water until they 
sprout, then planting the sprouted seed in flats or pots, 
or, if the weather is warm, in the open ground. They 
should be planted on the north or west side of the 
house if one would enjoy their beauties, for if planted 
on the east or south the first rays of the morning sun 
will close the blooms before one has a chance to enjoy 
them. They require far more space than the common 
morning glory — five feet apart is none too much — and 
just as much upward room as one can command. On 
too low a trellis they will climb to the top and then 
droop over, hiding the lower blossoms, for the Japan- 
ese morning glory branches and blooms from the root 
up. Pure white blooms, five inches or more in diam- 
eter, double white, fluffy blossoms; white spotted and 
speckled with crimson; blue and crimson edged with 




A THRIFTY WINDOW BOX TWO MONTHS AFTER PLANTING 



VINES FOR EVERY PLACE 125 

broad bands of white, terra cotta, steel grey; single 
and double blooms, all are found in this wonderful 
flower of the Orient. Good soil, cultivation and water, 
water, water, are the conditions that will produce the 
wonderfully large flowers that are known in Japan. 
I have raised Japanese morning glories that Japanese 
friends told me were larger than they grew, but I 
found it was water, and always water that did it. 

Another most interesting annual vine is the momor- 
dica. This has especially beautiful foliage of the 
grape style, and long golden-yellow fruit that opens 
when ripe, showing an interior full of scarlet seeds. 
Other members of the gourd family are quite worth 
cultivating; one of the most effective vines I ever 
grew was the orange shaped gourd. This has large, 
coarse foliage, but is exceedingly effective in a mural 
sort of way, and when grown across the front of a 
porch or pergola is wonderfully decorative. 

No vine is so artistically beautiful as the Chinese 
wistaria when covered with its long pendent sprays 
of white or of lavender flowers. Unfortunately it is 
often a shy bloomer, requiring several years to come 
into flower; sometimes it never blooms. I have one 
myself that must be between fifteen and twenty years 
old and has defeated all efforts to make it bloom, 
though it grows rankly with a stem as thick as my 
wrist. Seedling plants are said to bloom seldom, so 
in purchasing vines of this particular sort one should 



126 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

see that they are getting' plants from cuttings of 
blooming plants, if possible. 

The adlumia or Alleghany vine is a delicate, fern- 
like vine, especially desirable for caskets and for po- 
sitions where a slight tracery of green is desired. It 
is a biennial, forming a fern-like stool of leaves the 
first year, but rising into a tall, slender vine the sec- 
ond summer. It does better when planted on the 
east or north side of the house, as a hot sun burns 
the foliage. It self-sows and once established on the 
premises volunteer plants will be found from year to 
year which may be lifted the second season and 
planted wherever they are needed. 

The wild cucumber, Echinocystis, is a very useful 
annual, especially for covering rough places or for 
porches, porch boxes or window boxes. It has one 
fault — the foliage turns yellow early in the season. 
For this reason its use in boxes should be temporary ; 
just allowing it to remain until it begins to lookl 
shabby and then pulling it up and substituting some- 
thing else, but while still fresh and green and covered 
with its delicate greenish-white sprays of flowers it is 
a very attractive and useful vine and as it comes up 
self-sown is always available. 

There are several florist's vines which may be used 
as summer bedders and will prove both interesting 
and effective. The passion vine, Passiflora Pfordtii, 
is a beautiful thing, being covered the summer through 



VINES FOR EVERY PLACE 127 

with its large pink, white and blue flowers which 
spring from every leaf axil. It may be purchased 
in pots of the florists in the spring or old plants may 
be cut into short lengths and rooted in the hotbed, as 
they root very readily when given bottom heat and the 
protection of glass. They are fine for pergolas and 
desirable for porch and window boxes where a climb- 
ing rather than a trailing vine is desired. The pas- 
sion vine will climb to the second story by mid-sum- 
mer, blooming all the way. 

A fine vine which has given me much pleasure is the 
Aristalochia elegans. This cannot, usually, be ob- 
tained of northern florists, but must be purchased of 
the Florida greenhouses, but it will well repay con- 
siderable effort to obtain. The leaves of the Aristo- 
lockia elegans are thick and leathery and the flower 
very striking and novel — a disc-shaped bloom about 
two inches in diameter of a creamy color overlaid 
with a network of reddish, purplish brown. It blooms 
profusely and in fall can be cut back and wintered 
in a dormant state in a warm cellar. A table back 
of the furnace suits it, or it may be brought into the 
conservatory for winter blooming. 

If one has the convenience of a suitable winter stor- 
age plant room in the basement, then one's garden 
may be greatly enriched with plants from the tropics 
and semi-tropical parts of the country. Some of the 
southern trumpet vines are exceptionally beautiful 



1^8 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

and there are many other tropical vines well worth 
trying, as well as many shrubs and bedding plants; 
the crape myrtles, the oleanders, hibiscus and many, 
many others. 

For window boxes there is nothing more daintily 
graceful than the little manetta vine with its foxglove- 
shaped blossoms of blue, of pink and of white. It 
is easily raised from seed sown in boxes of fine ssoil 
in house or hotbed in February or March. At the 
same time one may start seeds of the thumbergia, 
which requires similar treatment. 



CHAPTER XII 



THE ROCK GARDEN 



The rock garden is a sort of edition de luxe in 
the garden repertoire, that is, it is so to us of the 
Middle West where stones and rocks are about as 
rare as rooks eggs, but in New England they may 
often be a '* virtue of necessity." It is a fascinating 
necessity since there are so many delightful things 
that are especially suited to a rockery; things that 
one seldom sees in the garden proper, while most of 
the common things, annuals, perennials, shrubs and 
small trees, all may be colonized in the pockets and 
comfortable crannies of a generous rockery. 

A rockery, to be at its best, should never be a mere 
tumulus of stones, though even that makeshift may 
be attractive with proper planting, but should have 
its beginning in some natural way, starting at some 
fixed point, as a group of trees which may be planted 
for the purpose; a stone wall or a building, or one 
great boulder may be the inception of the whole. The 
rocks at the beginning should be large and be so placed 
as to appear to crop out of the ground ; they may di- 

129 



130 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

minisli in size and height as the edge of the rockery 
is reached, but nowhere should they deteriorate into 
a mere pile of stones. The best location is one ex- 
tending from east to west so that a planting of tall 
shrubs or trees — as the larches, tamarax and tamarisk 
— ^may be made on the north side where they will not 
shade the lower planting. All tall shrubs and peren- 
nials must be on the higher parts of the rockery, the 
low-growing and creeping things being nearer the 
ground. Suitable pockets of soil must be provided 
and in the case of shrubs and deep-rooted perennials 
the pockets should extend to the ground. Certain 
rock-loving plants will do well in shallow pockets, but 
the soil must be of the best to start with — a warm, 
fibrous loam, well enriched with old manure, for ob- 
viously, the soil cannot readily be changed once the 
rockery is established, but must depend upon such 
top dressing as can be given in fall and spring for 
renewal. 

The rockery will afford spaces of sun and shade, 
congenial for many sorts of plants; there should be 
moist hollows where ferns and things of the wild-wood 
will thrive. On the northern side, in the shade of the 
trees many woodsy things can be colonized — the blood- 
root, trillium, hepatica, rock-loving columbine, ferns 
and the like. On the sunny edges many of the spring- 
blooming bulbs may be grown and will make a lovely 
ribbon of color in the early days of spring — ^hya- 



THE ROCK GARDEN 131 

cintlis, crocus, scillas, primroses, pollyanthas and 
many others that come almost as soon as the bluebird 
does. These early bulbs that have bloomed in the 
house in winter may be planted out in the rockery the 
next fall and will give good returns for years to 
come. 

One of the earliest plants to bloom, often appear- 
ing in early April, is the saxafraga (Megaseas). 
These have immense leathery leaves of deep green and 
large clusters of pink, deep rose, rosy-crimson and of 
white flowers that are very attractive and showy, and 
the plants are very hardy and entirely free from 
insects. Once established they require no further care. 
The tall-growing saxafragas are also very desirable 
for the rockwork, especially saxafraga pyramidalis, 
which defines itself clearly against the grey of large 
boulders. The rock-loving columbine is a beautiful 
thing planted on the west side of a big, grey boulder 
where the sun can etch its shadow on the rock. All 
the Sedums are at home in this environment and in- 
crease in size and effectiveness from year to year. 
Some, as the sedum acre, or golden moss, are low- 
growing forms, hugging the rocks closely; there are 
many forms of these; pink, white, yellow flowered, 
and all are good. 

The earliest of the low-growing plants to flower is 
the arabis or rock cress; this soon covers the rocks 
with its silvery-green foliage, starred in April with 



132 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

white. The aeana is a pretty thing for sunny po- 
sitions, with hronzy evergreen foliage and showy crim- 
son spines. In shady spots the ajuga and the al- 
chemilla may be planted and sweet alyssum will be 
at home anywhere that the sun can warm and wel- 
come it. 

The aubretia — false wall cress — is another pretty 
dwarf rock plant with silvery green foliage and 
bright, reddish-crimson flowers in spring. The callir- 
hoe is a showy trailing plant with finely divided 
foliage and showy, saucer-shaped flowers of bright, 
rosy crimson which cover the plants throughout the 
summer. The English daisy, Bellis perennis, is espe- 
cially suitable for sunny edges and for growing on the 
less pretentious mounds of stone. The draba is an- 
other dwarf-growing rock plant with white flowers 
and the Epimediums (Barren-wort, Bishop's Hat), 
also dwarf, have interesting leathery foliage that 
turns to beautiful tints of color in autumn and shows 
a greater range of color than most rock plants ; crim- 
son and yellow of the Epimedium alpinum, the rosy 
red of Epimedium musschlanum, a pure white, yellow 
and rich violet of violacea. Then there is the fern 
family with many interesting members, not the least 
interesting of which are the English ferns, Scolopen- 
driums in variety, the maiden hair ferns, the Asplen- 
iums, with their odd criss-crossed pinnea, and all the 
well-known native ferns of the local woodland which 



THE ROCK GARDEN 133 

may be had for the taking. The well known ground- 
sell or ivy and the Kennilworth ivy are too well 
known to need more than a mention and each adapts 
itself to a home on the rockery. 

For taller growths one may use the orobus with its 
bright blue pea-shaped flowers in May and June. The 
prunella has round heads of purple flowers all sum- 
mer and the rexia or meadow-beauty has bright rosy- 
purple flowers all summer, and the tunica — a tufted 
plant with light pink flowers produced all summer — 
indeed, there is an endless wealth of suitable plants 
for a rockery and one need not be as restricted in 
choice as in more formal planting. For tall plants I 
like the foxglove exceptionally w^ell, as planted singly 
it silhouettes so beautifully against a background of 
rock, of greenery or sky ; this also is characteristic of 
the purple cone flower or rudbeckia. 

If possible, the rockery should contain several hol- 
low, cup-shaped stones that will afford bathing places 
for the birds, or bathing and drinking places can be 
hollowed out in the soil and lined with wire and 
cemented. Where the rockery has a high point a little 
water can be conveyed to this highest point by pipe 
or hose and so form a miniature cascade to trickle 
down the face of the rock into a succession of shallow 
stones, making grateful bathing spots for the birds 
who will bathe as well in its spray as in the pools 



134 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

it forms. Jutting out from crevices along its path one 
should plant the moisture loving ferns. 

In sunny spots one may colonize a few cacti which 
will prove interesting, and become, if the hardy spe- 
cies are selected, permanent members of the rock 
family. 



CHAPTER XIII 



THE WATER GARDEN 



This affords one of the most fascinating forms of 
gardening and one of the simplest and least exacting, 
for, once put into operation in the early spring little 
further attention is required. Unlike the flower gar- 
den with its constant call for cultivation, tying up of 
plants, watering and general supervision, the water 
garden will need little more than to turn on the water 
as the water in the pool evaporates and, once or twice 
during the summer, to thin out the lily pads so that 
they do not crowd. 

Where one is so fortunate as to have a stream of 
water flowing through the grounds, as is often the 
happy instance in New England grounds, one can 
arrange an overflow in a low bit of ground by hollow- 
ing out and puddling with clay so that a most natur- 
alistic appearing pool will result. The edges should 
be banked with rocks and planted with moisture-lov- 
ing plants, such as the iris, planted in clumps. The 
iris appears to such fine advantage in such situations 
that it is worth constructing a waterside garden for 

135 



136 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

its benefit alone; they should be planted in clumps, 
some little distance apart and not in formal lines, for 
realistic effect. 

Where there is no natural water supply, resource 
must be had to the artificial pool of cement, and such 
a pool is indispensable in all formal gardening, and 
makes an objective point for the meeting of gar- 
den paths, or the end of a walk that is not supplied 
by any other form of bed or ornamental structure. 

The construction of cement pools is so simple that 
any one handy with his hands can construct one, so 
that where home talent is employed the expense is 
not of serious moment. The dimensions, horizontally, 
will depend upon the room at command and the 
amount one wishes to expend, and, of course, upon 
the location of the pool. The depth is always practi- 
cally the same — two feet for the growing of nymphasas 
of various sorts, eighteen inches being sufficient when 
one prefers to grow the lotus. Where the pool is to 
form the center of a more or less formal garden of 
moderate extent, a diameter of twelve feet will be an 
excellent size, and a round pool is preferable to a 
square or oblong one. For isolated pools on the lawn 
or at one side, a larger pool of twenty feet long by 
fifteen wide will give room for the growing of a 
greater variety of lilies and a still larger one will ad> 
mit of the growing of the Victorias, especially Victoria 
Trickeri, which does not require artificial heat, but 



THE V/ATER GARDEN 137 

may be planted out in open pools when the nights 
are warm — early in June, usually. 

The simplest way to construct an artificial pool is 
to mark out the circumference on the ground and 
then to dig a trench two and a half feet deep and as 
narrow as can be handled, making the sides as smooth 
and even as possible. Concrete will then be poured 
into this, using rather small gravel in the mixture and 
paddling it away from the sides so that in setting the 
concrete may have a smooth, firm surface. After 
the concrete has become perfectly hard (and sufficient 
time must be allowed for this part of the work) the 
inside of the pool may be dug out down to the bottom 
of the concrete wall and a cement floor laid, great 
oare being given to the joining of the floor and wall, 
for it is at the angle of floor and wall that trouble 
from leakage usually occurs. It is better to cove this 
angle and leave the work as smooth as possible. If 
this is done, both in the rough and in the finishing 
coat which is applied over all, any cracks which occur 
in future will be easily located and repaired. Rough- 
ness here frustrates all attempts to locate the trouble 
and necessitates the going over the whole angle if re- 
pairs are needed. 

As the top of the pool should be a few inches above 
the ground — just how high being a matter of taste — 
forms will be required for this part of the work or 
concrete blocks shaped to the curve of the circle can 



138 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

be used, or, if one prefers that effect, the top can be 
laid in cobble or rocks. Either effect will be good, 
but where smooth concrete is used in other parts of 
the garden, walks, walls, seats, etc., the curb would 
better conform to these. 

In the two-foot pool about one foot of good soil 
is required, marsh earth and well-rotted cow manure 
being the best combination. Over this, after the lilies 
are planted, an inch of clear white lake sand should be 
spread. This will disappear during the summer, but 
may be resurrected again the following spring by 
peeling off the quarter of an inch of muck that will 
have formed from the decay of vegetable matter and 
the dust that has settled in the water. 

It is not necessary, however, that this foot of earth 
be used as the lilies may be planted in large boxes of 
cedar or galvanized iron tubs instead. These need 
not be over a foot deep and should be filled with the 
same soil used for the pool. There are certain advan- 
tages in this mode of planting as it makes possible 
the inspection of the bottom of the pool should a leak 
occur. Leaks in a well-constructed pool are not usual, 
but do occur sometimes, and in a pool filled with 
earth it is very difficult to repair them when full of 
growing plants. They seldom occur in the fioor of the 
pool, but rather at the angle and in the wall, and when 
necessary to deal with them a trench must be dug 
around the wall, inside the pool, first letting out all 



THE WATER GARDEN 139 

the water, until the trouble is found. Of course Avhere 
the lilies are in tubs the matter is simple, as a few 
hours' work will put things in order again. Small 
cracks above the earth line and in the wall are often 
successfully handled by painting with white lead. 
These are caused, of course, by frost, but properly 
protected in winter, frost will never find its way into 
the interior of the pool. Winter protection consists 
of letting out the water and filling the pool with dry 
leaves heaped high. Over these a cover of canvas or 
lumber must be placed, the center being sufficiently 
high to shed w^ater freely. Two oblong structures of 
matched boards, two feet longer than the pool and as 
much wider as half the diameter, the center and ends 
resting on stout supports, and securely attached at 
the center, make a very satisfactory cover as it can 
be stored against a wall in a barn or other convenient 
place, while a round cover is very awkward to house 
anywhere. 

There are so many beautiful varieties of water lilies 
offered by the florists who specialize in this form of 
plants that it is difficult to make a choice. Perhaps 
the best selection for the beginner would be one or 
two plants each of IMarliacea rosaea, and Marliacea 
chromatella, both hardy nymphasas, constant and pro- 
lific bloomers, and perfectly hardy. They come into 
bloom early, usually showing buds when the leaves 
are removed from the pool in the spring, though there 



140 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

is no water in the pool, and the ground but slightly 
damp. Marliacea ros^ea is a beautiful pink flower five 
inches in diameter, and Marliacea chromatella a some- 
what smaller, lemon yellow flower. The finest white 
is Nymphaea tuberosa Richardsoni, but unfortunately 
it is a rather shy bloomer when grown with other 
varieties and at all crowded. It is by far the hand- 
somest of all the day blooming hardy Nymph^as. But 
one should not confine the planting to the day bloom- 
ing Nymphseas alone, as these close their flowers at 
about four o'clock or earlier in the afternoon, just 
at a time that they would be most appreciated. How- 
ever by planting a few night bloomers — which open 
early in the evening, remaining open until late the 
following morning, blooms will be open at the most 
interesting time of the day. These night bloomers 
are of the tender variety and must be purchased each 
year of the florists or wintered in a warm greenhouse, 
but they well repay the additional care and expense, 
as they much exceed in size and beauty the hardy 
Nymphaeas, being often twelve and fourteen inches in 
diameter and of surpassing beauty of color and form. 
The blue Nymphaeas are especially admired and those 
are easily grown from seed planted in shallow, water 
tight dishes of soil covered with an inch of water and 
placed in the hotbed close to the sash. The seed 
should be scattered on top of the water, when it will 
sink to the bottom, germinating in about six days. 



THE WATER GARDEN 141 

When the little plants are large enough to handle 
they should be pricked out into inch pots and plunged 
in a dish of water and grown on until June, when 
they may be planted out in shallow water in the pool. 
They will bloom the first year, but the blooms will be 
small. The second year they will have attained size 
and blossoms ten to twelve inches will be produced. 

The various lotus are easily grown from seed, in 
much the same way, but as the seeds of the lotus are 
large and very hard they must be filed or sandpapered 
until a white spot shows on the side of the shell; 
treated in this way and placed in a warm hotbed 
nearly every seed will produce a plant. Seeds of 
most of the best varieties of lotus can be obtained of 
water lily specialists, and as the seed can be purchased 
at from fifteen to twenty-five cents a packet, and the 
growing plants cost from three to six dollars each, it 
is quite worth one's while to experiment with the seed. 

It is not best to grow the Nymphaeas and lotus in 
the same pool. For one thing the lotus require a more 
shallow water than the Nymphseas, not more than six 
inches being desirable, while the Nymphagas require 
twelve for best results. Again the root growth of the 
Nymphaeas is entirely distinct from the lotus, being 
club formed and not extending far from the original 
point of planting. For best results all small plant 
buds should be removed from these main roots each 
spring and the strength of the root given to the pro- 



142 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

duction of one or two strong plants. On the other 
hand the lotus forms a rhizome root, of immense pro- 
portions. One lotus root planted in a twelve-foot pool 
will circle the pool in two seasons, hugging the wall 
and sending up tall leaf scapes and blossom stalks at 
intervals of a foot or eighteen inches, completely ob- 
scuring a view^ of the floating Nymphaas. 

If one wants to grow them in connection with Nym- 
phaeas then it would be well to place another wall in 
the center of the pool three or four feet in diameter 
and make the earth in this higher than in the rest 
of the pool and in this plant the lotus ; they will then 
make a beautiful center for the pool and will not in- 
terfere with floating lilies. 

If one wishes to stock the lily pool with plants of 
home growing, then only so much water should be 
let into the pool as will saturate the soil and leave 
just enough water on the surface to float the tiny 
pads of the seedlings. More must be added very grad- 
ually and carefully as the plants increase in size and 
length of stem. In planting the seedlings, merely 
press the roots down into the sand, and if inclined to 
float at first, place a little stone over each root. 

Water can be brought into the pool either by piping 
or by means of a hose from whatever water supply 
one has. The letting out of the water, however, re- 
quires a drain of tile carried from the lower side of 
the pool to a main drain or to a pit filled with gravel 



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THE WATER GARDEN 143 

at a little distance. It should enter the pool on the 
bottom by means of an angle tile, the opening of 
which should be level with the floor of the pool and 
well cemented into place. This opening, a three or 
four inch tile, can be closed by a wooden plug, also 
cemented in, through which a one inch hole is bored 
to be closed by an inch wooden rod extending above 
the water. If a ten or twelve inch tile is placed above 
this to keep back the soil it will be found that it 
makes a more reliable stop than a plumber's trap, 
which is always liable to leak and give trouble. The 
swelling of the wooden rod hermetically seals the 
opening and in fall, or whenever it is desired to let 
out the water, it is easily removed by passing a chain 
around it and lifting it with a lever and fulcrum, as a 
crowbar and a block of wood. 

Water lilies are often troubled with the grey aphis 
or plant lice; these are sure to appear in August if 
the plants have been allowed to become crowded. 
They are absolutely deadly, both on the Nymphaas 
and the lotus. Nymphseas can be sprayed with kero- 
sene emulsion to eradicate them, but kerosene must 
never be used on the lotus, nor can it be used on pools 
containing gold fish. For this reason the pads must 
not be allowed to crowd until they stand out of water. 
"When the lice do appear the remedy is to spray with 
water at a hundred and forty degrees for one thing, 
and to get into the pool, either by wading or by means 



144 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

of a long ladder laid across the pool or resting on a 
tile in the center and covered with a board, and re- 
move every leaf above water and if necessary the 
buds and blossoms also. 

It is surprising how quickly they will replace 
themselves so that the pool is not rendered unsightly 
for more than two or three days. A better way, 
however, is to remove all the faded and old leaves 
frequently so as to leave open places between the 
plants all the time ; the effect is much better than of 
a pool crowded with leaves. This cannot be done in 
the case of the lotus, and removing the lice by hand 
has to be resorted to as they quickly ruin the plant 
if allowed to increase. 

A few gold fish should always be kept in the pool 
as they act as scavengers, destroying the larvae of the 
mosquito and other insects and are of themselves ob- 
jects of much interest, becoming very tame and com- 
ing up to eat from one 's hand if fed regularly in the 
same place. Though they find sufficient food in a 
well stocked pool they are very fond of the bread 
which they eat from one's hand, swimming in and 
out between one 's fingers. 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN 

The old-fashioned garden of hardy perennials, with 
its rows of hollyhocks, its beds edged with spice pinks, 
its Sweet Williams and none -so-pretty has all but 
disappeared from the village home, giving place to 
the conventional bed of cannas, salvias or geraniums, 
but is appearing in a much developed, glorified form 
in the country homes of the well-to-do, few of which 
are to-day without their old-fashioned or ''grand- 
mother's garden." In some of these gardens the 
floral display rivals in perfection of bloom and glow 
of color any achievement of the showy bedding plants, 
many of the perennial flowers — larkspurs, foxgloves, 
Canterbury bells and the like — being grown in pots 
in cool greenhouses until ready to burst into bloom, 
when they are planted out to take the place of hardier 
perennials which have but that day finished their 
season of bloom. In this way an unbroken succession 
of bloom is produced, but it seems to me that the real 
spirit of the perennial garden is lost, for the deep, 
underlying principle of the perennial garden is per- 

145 



146 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

manency and age. Just as we value an old article 
of silver or china or furniture that has been handed 
down from mother to daughter for generations, over 
a similar article that has just been bought from a 
dealer, even though it may be of equal antiquity and 
undoubted genuineness, so the old-fashioned garden 
should have its sentiment, its legends, to have the real 
old-time spirit, and although we cannot all inherit 
old plants and gardens, we can, at least, establish 
those that will in time come to have a beauty and 
dignity of place and association. 

The hardy perennial plants are the garden's most 
profitable asset, increasing in value from year to year 
and earning a rich increment of size and progeny. 

I think the inception of a hardy garden should 
have much to do with sentiment ; that one should first 
plant those things which most appeal to one and those 
which are in any way associated with one's intimate 
life. Plants gleaned from the gardens of dear friends, 
especially those who no longer meet with us, have a 
subtle charm quite distinct from those which merely 
represent a financial transaction. 

There are two points to be considered in the laying 
out and planting of a garden of hardy plants; one 
that the garden must be allowed room to grow — it 
should not be planted in a strictly circumscribed space, 
so that the first planting sets the limit for all future 
planting, but rather, it should be so arranged that 



THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN 147 

beds may be lengthened or new beds added as the oc- 
casion arises, for all, or most, perennials increase, 
either by self sowing, by off-shoots or by root division, 
and a very modest planting to-day will be the nucleus 
of an extensive one later on. Secondly, a large num- 
ber of plants of one variety is far more effective than 
many kinds of plants singly or few in number, and 
the edging of beds of tall perennials with low-growing 
plants is distinctive of all old-fashioned gardens and 
adds a special charm to the planting. 

If, in the beginning of our hardy garden it is not 
practicable to plant all the various sorts by the dozen 
or score, then one should use judgment in planting 
what is available. The important ones — those that 
will remain undisturbed for years until in time they 
attain noble proportions, like the dictamnus, which 
is a plant of generations rather than of years — should 
not be placed as near neighbors, so that in time they 
will encroach upon the room needed by each other, 
but should rather be neighbored by shorter lived or 
less important plants which, one will not hesitate to 
remove when their room is needed "by the more im- 
portant plant, and the idea of permanence should not 
be lost sight of. One should have a clear idea before 
planting anything, just what the effect will be. Many 
perennials have no objection to frequent upheavals, 
but to others it means a check in growth and often 
complete dissolution. Color incongruities are more 



148 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

often disastrous than any other form of incompati- 
bility. I recall a planting in my own garden that re- 
sulted most disastrously and might just as well have 
been averted by an instant's thought. In this case, 
having a surplus of Oriental poppy plants to dispose 
of in a hurry, several were set in a border containing 
a fine plant of dictamnus; the result when the two 
bloomed together was something to make a flower lover 
mourn; of course in this case the remedy was to re- 
move the poppies, but two or three weeks ' discord was 
created in the garden by mere thoughtlessness and I 
dare say the plants are still gossiping about it. 

In considering color juxtaposition it should be 
borne in mind that when in doubt one should always 
use white. White is the great peace-maker and can 
be introduced with good effect almost anywher.e. It 
is especially good with scarlet and where two inhar- 
monious shades of red have been inadvertently placed 
side by side, the introduction of white may relieve an 
embarrassing situation. Almost all shades of yellow 
harmonize with blue, mauve with pink. Blue planted 
in the rear of the garden increases the apparent dis- 
tance and extent of the garden while white brings 
the planting nearer, lessening the apparent size of 
the garden. 

Many plants are at their best in long rows, rather 
than in massed beds ; the hollyhock and foxgloves are 
good instances of these. The garden spiraea is good 



THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN 149 

in long rows used as a background for lower growing 
plants such as the lychnis and feverfew. A bed that 
always affords much satisfaction at its time of bloom 
has a close row of aquilegias in the front row which 
bloom first; back of these, coming into bloom at the 
same time is a row of scarlet lychnis and white fever- 
few, alternated, and backed by the tall garden spiraea ; 
the effect is delightful and after these have faded the 
last and rcur rows of physostegia finish up the color 
symphony of that bed for the year. 

The ulmaria is a perennial plant of the spiraea 
family that is beautiful when grown in long rows. 
This combines well with scarlet and may be edged or 
bordered with any good scarlet flower blooming at the 
same season. The ulmaria, to be at its best, should be 
lifted and divided every third year. Unless this is 
done the plant makes so dense and woody a root 
growth that no moisture can penetrate it and only 
scant and inferior bloom is produced, but if divided 
and the plants set eighteen inches apart in good soil 
and freely supplied with water during the growing 
and olooming season, it will be one of the marked 
features of the garden. 

German iris is another plant requiring frequent di- 
vision and resetting in good soil, though it need not 
be reset more than once in three years, unless it shows 
signs of failing in bloom. Each clump taken up 
should have all the old woody root discarded, only the 



150 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

new growth with strong", live eyes being retained, and 
these may be set in a clump or circle, the roots turning 
outward, so as to form a fine clump when in bloom, 
for a strong clump should be aimed at that the effect 
may be good the first year after planting. Lift and 
divide in August or before new growth starts. 

Hardy phlox is another of the perennials that re- 
quires frequent dividing. The roots may be lifted 
every second or third year, according to the growth 
they have made, and pulled or chopped apart and re- 
set singly in fresh soil. The dictamnus on the other 
hand should never be disturbed, once it is planted, 
but top-dressed with old manure in fall or spring and 
this worked into the soil; that is all the care this 
fine plant requires. 

The aquilegias require little care, once established, 
beyond keeping the weeds away and the soil, which 
should approach that of the woods as nearly as pos- 
sible, mellow and moist. The aquilegia self-sows and 
the little seedlings may be lifted and easily trans- 
planted, but the old plants do not transplant very well 
and should be left undisturbed if possible. The 
double blue and white columbine, however, may be 
lifted by passing a spade down well below the roots 
and transferring it to a new position. Never pull up 
a plant, nor dig it out with the trowel if there is any 
doubt of its transplanting safely, but lift it on the 
spade with all the earth that belongs to it and trans- 



THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN 151 

fer it to a hole already prepared, in one operation. 
Foxgloves, which are often hard to transplant, will 
do nicely if moved in this way. 

Paeonies are of the plants which should not be dis- 
turbed unless it is necessary. If not blooming well 
and remedial measures have failed it may be well to 
lift, dividing if the clumps are old and large and to 
reset in a more favorable location. Failure to bloom 
is sometimes caused by too deep planting (there should 
not be more than two inches of soil over the top of 
the clump), by sour soil — remedied by application of 
lime; by poor drainage — indicated by sour soil; lack 
of sunshine, or — and this is almost always the real 
trouble — lack of sufficient water when the plant is 
making growth and developing its flowers. It will 
frequently be found that paeonies that have had a 
poor blossoming season, followed by a rainy summer, 
give abundance of fine flowers the following season. 
Another thing that often injures the paeony is cut- 
ting off the foliage before it matures and dies a nat- 
ural .death ; this should never be done. 

Nearly all of the old-time garden favorites have 
been greatly improved in the last ten years. Espe- 
cially is this improvement noticeable in the holly- 
hock and in the paeony. The new double hollyhock, 
Newport pink, is an exceptionally beautiful flower, 
perfect in color, flower and manner of growth. A 
long row of them in full bloom in July and August is 



152 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

worth going a long way to see. The hollyhock requires 
little care in general, but of late years what is known 
as the blight has much injured the plantings, unless 
treatment with bordeaux mixture has been given early 
in the growing season, as soon as the stalks begin to 
form, and repeated at intervals on the underside of 
the leaves until the blight has been checked. 

Both the old-fashioned larkspurs and the newer 
named delphiniums, especially the Gold Medal del- 
phiniums, are practically everblooming, for if the 
plants are cut back to the ground when through their 
first season of bloom a second crop of flowers lasting 
well through the fall will be produced. The del- 
phiniums may be planted outdoors in May in the vege- 
table garden and cultivated during summer and lifted 
and planted where they are to remain in the fall or 
the following spring. Usually they will give single 
spikes of bloom the first year so that one may make 
selections of the more desirable sorts, though there 
are few discards in this beautiful flower which often 
grows five or six feet tall with spikes of beautiful 
flowers from a foot to eighteen inches long in all the 
shades of blue from the palest azure to the deepest 
ultramarine, with pink, white, black or bronze eyes. 
Surely no flower of the garden is more worthy of ex- 
tended cultivation. 

Of the Sweet Williams no sort has attracted more 
favorable attention than the Newport Pink , a distinct 




A HARDY BORDER OF LARKSPUR AND HOLLYHOCKS 




FOXGLOVE PLANTED AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF SliRUBBEIlY 



THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN 153 

new color which originated in one of the famous gar- 
dens of Newport. It is what florists call a water- 
melon-pink and is an admirable sort for bedding and 
massing. The ever-blooming hybrid Dianthus lati- 
folius atrococcineus is another distinctive sort, bloom- 
ing the first season from seed, and is a continuous 
bloomer. The color is an intense crimson scarlet al- 
ways attracting attention in the garden. It makes 
admirable edgings for beds of taller plants and a 
fine border for lily pools, where it may be alternated 
with sweet alyssum with excellent effect. 

A chapter on hardy perennials cannot, in the na* 
ture of things be exhaustive when included in a gen- 
eral garden book; it can only touch here and there 
the high lights of the garden's catalogue, but cer- 
tain things stand out conspicuously, either because of 
their merits or popularity, and call for more than a 
passing mention. Of plants which seem especially at- 
tractive and winsome none appeals to me more 
strongly than the anthericum or St. Brunos lilies, 
whose waxen bells, like miniature candidum lilies, are 
produced on eighteen inch spikes in May. One should 
plant these, not singly but by the dozen, and give 
them a little space by themselves, as when crowded by 
the too-near presence of other plants they will not 
thrive, being not at all assertive of their rights. They 
like a moist, mellow soil in a semi-shaded situation. 



154 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

A position where they can have the morning sun will 
do admirably. 

Blooming at the extreme opposite of the garden 
year, in October, the Japanese anemones give abun- 
dance of beautiful, daisy-like flowers at a time when 
other flowers are scarce. These require a somewhat 
shaded, protected position and a moist, woodsy soil 
for best results. The plants increase by underground 
growth, the rhizome raots spreading rapidly through 
the bed and throwing up numerous plants. For this 
reason they should be disturbed as little as possible 
as it is difficult to cultivate the ground without de- 
stroying many of the plants, so that it is best to wait 
until growth begins in the spring before working over 
the beds. 

The double forms are the more beautiful and the 
white is, perhaps, the loveliest of the sorts, though 
the soft rose-pink, and silvery-rose are each beautiful. 
Indeed one could scarcely do better than to plant the 
entire collection of anemones, for few flowers surpass 
them in delicate beauty. A long border planted to 
the several varieties is a distinct acquisition to the 
hardy garden. 

In semi-shaded spots in the garden the astilbes give 
beautiful spikes of feathery pink and of white flowers. 
These are the astilbes forced by the florists for Easter, 
and are not at all hard to grow in the hardy border 
if given good soil and sufficient water. 



THE OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN 155 

For late fall flowering the hardy chrysanthemums 
are indispensable. They should be planted in a warm 
sunny position, beside a south wall of a building if 
possible, as they perfect their flowers late in October, 
often being still full of bloom when the first snow 
storm whitens the ground. For this reason the 
brighter colored sorts are preferable and there are 
many shades of pink, red, bronze and yellow to be 
had, all desirable and of easy culture. The Shasta 
daisy, which belongs to the same family but blooms 
in July and later, is easily raised from seed, often 
blooming the first year. The roots increase in size 
rapidly and may be lifted every spring and reset, so 
a planting of an initial dozen the first year will give 
several score of plants the succeeding summer. They 
may be planted in any good soil in a sunny situa- 
tion and will take care of themselves. A new Japan- 
ese variety, Nipponicum, blooms in September and 
October on two foot stems with large, pure white 
flowers. 



CHAPTER XV 

HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 

The planting of hardy shrubs and ornamental trees 
should be one of the earliest undertakings in the de- 
velopment of a new home. Most hardy perennials 
and all bulbous and annual plants give immediate re- 
sults, but these larger, stronger growths require time 
to adjust themselves to their new conditions and de- 
velop into effective size and florescence. There are 
few places so small that room for a few shrubs can- 
not be found, or so large that some effective sorts 
may not be selected to add beauty and grace to the 
landscape. 

One very effective use of shrubbery consists in 
banking about the base of stables, barns and other 
out-buildings. This is especially desirable when these 
buildings are, as is usualty the case in the small place, 
in plain view of the house. A successful planting 
of attractive shrubs in such locations not only serves 
to mask an otherwise unattractive object, but also 
brings into the outlook from the windows, a wealth 
of beautiful form and color throughout the various 

156 



HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 157 

seasons of the year. For such positions it is desirable 
to select plants that will give the longest season of 
bloom ; those which have attractive foliage of an orna- 
mental nature or those which are attractive with 
bright berries or colored bark in winter. Evergreens 
are always desirable and may be used as a back- 
ground for shrubs bearing bright berries or bark with 
charming effect. 

The objection is often raised that the number and 
size of the doors of a barn or stable leave little room 
for planting, and this is, in a measure, true, but if, 
instead of opening the doors back against the barn 
they are merely opened at right angles and a post 
set for them to swing against, or if they can be made 
to slide on hangers, a very appreciable difference in 
the available planting space will result. Usually it 
will be found that quite tall shrubs can be used here. 

A rear fence, a division line between lots where it 
is not desired to have the lawns continuous, an angle 
in a building the harsh lines of which need softening, 
all afford excellent opportunities for the planting of 
shrubs and trees. 

One of the most successful uses of flowering trees 
consists in using them to top a high board fence or 
brick or stone wall, where they are especially effective 
when in bloom. For this purpose it is better to select 
those which make a crown of branches rather than 
those which are clothed with foliage from the ground 



158 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

up. Cercis canadensis is an excellent, medium-sized 
flowering tree, completely covered in early spring with 
wreaths of deep pink buds. The dogwoods are de- 
lightful trees for the purpose and all of the flowering 
peaches, crabs, cherries and plums, especially the 
double-flowered ornamental sorts. Aralia spinosa is 
an enormously effective thing when, in mid-summer, 
its gigantic leaves are crowned with great masses of 
greenish white flowers and always the tamarix' 
feathery foliage and dainty bloom is a joy and delight. 
Catalpa hignonioides is a strong claimant for popular 
favor wherever a conspicuous, showy tree is needed 
and is especially good when seen above a mass of lower 
foliage. 

For massing under banks, at the base of high build- 
ings or in front of tall evergreens try the dwarf horse 
chestnut, Aesculus parviflora, with its long racemes 
of creamy-white flowers. Equally desirable in this 
position are the dwarf evergreens. The dwarf moun- 
tain pine is an admirable little tree, rarely growing 
over six feet in height, but frequently spreading over 
the ground to twice that distance; trailing junipers 
are also excellent and the yews, especially the Ameri- 
can variety, which rarely exceeds five feet with a 
diameter of twice that measure, and which, in season, 
is completely covered with its bright red berries are 
excellent things to plant in front of taller evergreens 



HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 159 

at the base of a barn, or wherever they can be seen to 
advantage from the house. 

Of the flowering shrubs there is, to my mind, noth- 
ing else so good as the deutzias. All the varieties of 
this plant are fine, but for a tall sort I should unhesi- 
tatingly choose Pride of Rochester and should plant it 
singly, in groups and as a specimen on the lawn. For 
a low-growing deutzia I should select Deutzia gracilis 
and plant it in front of evergreens or taller-growing 
shrubs so that it might have an effective background 
for its wealth of lovely white flowers. Then, having 
planted freely of these two deutzias I should go on 
and plant all the other varieties of deutzias I could 
buy, beg or borrow, for I can assure you there is not 
one which is not well worth cultivating. 

Certain of the spiraeas make desirable hedge plants 
where a light, graceful growth is desired. Spiraea 
Van Houtte is the best of sorts, and Spiraea Pruni- 
folia fl. pi. equally as good. Where one has an abun- 
dant water supply one may plant freely of the vari- 
ous hydrangeas, especially paniculata grandiflora and 
arhorescens, but where it is impossible to water these 
shrubs sufficiently they are apt to prove a little disap- 
pointing. Paniculata makes a dense root growth quite 
close to the surface of the ground and for this reason 
is apt to suffer in a dry spell. It is a good plan to 
mulch heavily with old barnyard manure in the fall, 
removing the coarsest in the spring and covering the 



160 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

remainder with a few inches of good earth. This 
protects and nourishes the roots. A heavj^ mulch of 
lawn clippings during summer is also helpful, but 
is quite useless if chickens are allowed access to it 
as they will scratch it off and, to be effectual, it should 
be undisturbed. Left alone it forms a felt-like mat 
through which neither weed can spring nor heat or 
drought enter. 

In somewhat sheltered situations the altheas are 
very satisfactory and may be used as backgrounds for 
lower growths, as specimen plants or kept trimmed 
low as hedges. They are beautiful no matter how 
they are used but require a little protection in win- 
ters in localities of cold, unsettled weather. This may 
take the form of rough manure about the roots and 
strips of matting or burlap wound about the top. 
Often the interposition of a windbreak of some sort 
will be sufficient. 

A number of shrubs of one variety is always far 
more effective than several plants all different and, 
where there are a number of separate plantings to 
be made, it will be well to emphasize some particular 
variety in each planting, though the entire planting 
need not be of the one sort, but combined with some 
other which harmonizes or contrasts well with it or 
which blooms at a different season. 

The planting of shrubs and trees is a simple opera- 
tion, but there are certain conditions which make for 



HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 161 

success. In the first place the soil should be suitable 
— well drained, fertile loam, well enriched with well 
decayed manure. If the soil is poor, gravelly or clay 
it should be replaced by better ; if the spot is low and 
wet then resource should be had to underdraining. 
The planting of trees and shrubs, being a permanent 
affair, should be done right at the start, for the work 
cannot be done over every year or two as may be 
done with annuals and perennials of sorts. The 
ground should be very thoroughly worked over and 
then the holes dug for each separate tree and shrub, 
making the holes deep and wide enough to hold the 
roots in a natural position at the same depth, or 
slightly deeper, than they were before transplanting. 
If their position in woods or nursery is known, then 
it will be well to place them in the same relative po- 
sition in their new location — that is, the side of the 
tree or shrub which faced the north should again be 
set to face it if possible. 

The shrubs should be out of the ground as short a 
time as possible and as far as practicable be pro- 
tected from drjang out by wrapping with moss and 
burlap which should not be removed until all is ready 
for setting the plant in the ground. If the wrap- 
pings appear dry, plunge plant and all in a bucket 
of lukewarm water for a few moments. Two people 
can handle large shrubs and trees better than one 
alone. Let one hold the tree erect in the hole while 



162 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the other replaces the earth about the roots, working 
it in between the roots so that they do not rest against 
each other. If any roots are broken they should be 
trimmed back to sound tissue, using a sharp knife. 
After the roots are covered with earth, press it down 
firmly with the feet, pour in sufficient water to nearly 
fill the hole, allow this to seep away and then fill in 
the remainder of the earth and make all smooth and 
fine about the tree. A mulch of litter will be of bene- 
fit as it will keep the ground moist and cool. 

As a general thing spring planted shrubs do best 
but it depends largely upon the care they receive 
during the summer. If neglected and allowed to suf- 
fer for water they will not make the vigorous root 
growth that will enable them to stand the coming 
winter. More plants are winter killed from summer 
neglect than from the severity of the weather. 

Where the fall is long and mild, good success often 
follows fall planting. In this case the shrubs should 
not be moved until they have shed their leaves ; then 
they should be gotten into the ground as soon as pos- 
sible that they may become established and make some 
root growth before freezing weather. If a heavy mulch 
is given considerable growth will be made as the 
earth is much warmer at this time of year than the 
atmosphere and the roots can work to advantage. 
This is not the case in early spring when the earth 
warms slowly and it is no uncommon thing for plants 



HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 163 

to remain dormant for two or three weeks after 
planting and if a dry season follows the growth may 
not be satisfactory unless water is supplied freely. 

Another point of importance in planting shrubbery 
is to buy the stock of reliable florists or nurserymen. 
It is seldom satisfactory to purchase of one's local 
dealer unless one can see the plants in bloom and 
know what he is getting. For this reason all large 
nurserymen guarantee their stock and are willing to 
replace any that prove untrue to name or that, given 
proper care, fail to grow. One's local florists are 
seldom as liberal in this matter and, although one 
saves freight or express by purchasing at home, the 
other disadvantages often more than offset this. On 
the other hand, most greenhouse plants, especially 
bedding plants, are much better bought at home as 
one receives much better value for the money. 

The matter of pruning shrubs is one which receives 
much more attention and causes more anxiety than 
it should. In my opinion more pruning is done than 
is necessary. A few shrubs, like the hydrangea, re- 
quire heavy pruning — about a third of the last year's 
growth or, in the case of straggly, weak growths, one- 
half should be removed in late winter or early spring. 
This makes for stockier growth and larger panicles 
of bloom. If a shrub is growing in a stocky, thrifty 
manner there is little need of pruning other than to 
keep it symmetrical. What pruning is done should 



164. MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

be in the way of removing all weak growth, such 
limbs as cross and rub each other and sufficient inside 
pruning to allow the sun and air to penetrate all 
parts of the plant. Some plants, like certain spiraeas 
and deutzias, make too dense a growth and it is often 
a benefit to cut out the centers quite severely, but all 
pruning of this class of plants should be done in the 
early summer just after the plants are through bloom- 
ing, as all spring blooming plants bloom on the old, 
last season's growth and spring pruning would seri- 
ously reduce the amount of bloom. Fall and mid-sum- 
mer bloomers, on the other hand, should be pruned 
very early in the spring, as these plants bloom on the 
new growth. All dead or broken wood should be 
trimmed from any class of shrubs, trees or roses. 
In trimming large shrubs and trees all limbs should 
be cut close to the branch from which they are sev- 
ered, making a slanting cut parallel to it. Where the 
limb is of much size the wound should be given a 
coat of paint or grafting wax to protect it from the 
weather until the bark has had time to close over it, 
which it will do in time, if no stub is left. 

A good mulch of manure or rough litter in winter 
will be of benefit to all shrubs and trees and of equal 
benefit during the dry, hot weather of summer, but 
it must be remembered that the roots of trees extend 
outwards to an equal area with the branches and a 
mulch to be effectual must cover an equal amount of 



HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 165 

space and be protected against the wind and anything 
which would disturb it. Evergreen branches laid over 
the mulch in winter form the best possible protection, 
or a strip of wire poultry netting will be useful. In 
summer it is simply necessary to keep chickens away 
from it to preserve it intact. 

Economy in the purchase of shrubbery may often 
be effected by a wise selection of varieties. Any 
considerable planting runs up into money fast, espe- 
cially if the larger sized shrubs are selected. Fortu- 
nately successful planting depends as much upon a 
number of plants of one variety as upon the size and 
distinction of the sorts. A dozen plants of one variety 
of spiraea, for instance, is far more effective than 
one plant each of twelve varieties — try it and see 
if I am not right. 

If, therefore, one has several strips of lawn to em- 
bellish with shrubbery and wishes to economize the 
expenditure as far as possible it will be found a most 
excellent plan to make a mixed planting on the most 
urgent section, selecting those shrubs which, by their 
manner of root formation, offer possibilities of rapid 
increase and use the products for the subsequent 
plantings. 

When these new offspring have reached a presenta- 
ble size they may be retained and the other sorts 
which can now be spared, removed to another loca- 



166 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

tion, planting out the youngsters in their vacated 
positions. 

There are three classes of plants which lend them- 
selves very readily to propagation through root divi- 
sion, layering and root offshoots. The first is found 
in those plants which make an exuberant root system 
of many fine feeding roots and many stems. A good ex- 
ample of this class of plants is found in the Hydran- 
gea arhorescens, which may be lifted, pulled apart and 
the several plants reset without in any way disturb- 
ing its growth intention. In this respect it differs 
materially from Hydrangea paniculata, which, while 
making a generous root system, has but the one main 
stem and so is incapable of subdivision. The former, 
however, is similar in habit to many perennials which 
are increased by root division — as the shasta daisies, 
violets, daisies, etc. 

Often a plant of Hydrangea arhorescens purchased 
from the florist will admit of the removal of two or 
three smaller parts without seriously impairing the 
appearance of the original plant and if these are set 
out and well cared for they will quickly develop into 
blossoming plants, for this form is an early and relia- 
ble bloomer. 

Spiraea Anthony Waterer is another shrub which 
may be increased by pulling apart the roots ; indeed 
this plant is benefited by occasional treatment of this 
sort, doing much better and flowering more freely. 



HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 167 

Planted in front of taller shrubs it is a very desira- 
ble and reliable plant and if the faded flowers are 
removed after the spring florescence it will continue 
to produce flowers throughout the summer. 

One of the most easily propagated plants is found 
in the symphoricarpus or snow berry, indeed, in the 
case of this pretty shrub the difSculty is not to in- 
crease one 's stock, as the new growth is usually pros- 
trate the first year, lying supinely on the ground and, 
if left undisturbed, will throw out roots at the joints 
and rapidly produce attractive little plants as robust 
as the parent stock. Lifting the branches occasionally 
will prevent this but usually one likes to have the 
new plants form. I do. After becoming rooted the 
branch should be severed between the new and the 
parent plant. As the root growth is dense, consist- 
ing of a mass of healthy feeding roots, the young 
plants can be lifted almost any time and reset with- 
out much check to growth. The pale, pinky-white 
flowers come in mid-summer, followed by the white 
berries which remain on the bush well into the winter 
and are very attractive. 

Somewhat similar in its manner of increase is the 
deutzia Pride of Rochester — a magnificent shrub 
which challenges our admiration when covered with 
its drooping, bell-shaped flowers in late June and 
which, under favorable conditions assumes the pro- 
portions of a small tree. Like the symphoricarpus, 



168 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the branches are more or less inclined to a prostrate 
habit, or, because of their flexibility, are easily pegged 
down and root easily at the joint, but do not make as 
vigorous root growth and the joint should have a lit- 
tle earth drawn over it and be pegged down for best 
results. This shrub is so altogether desirable that 
half a dozen branches may be devoted to the produc- 
tion of new plants, one or more being produced from 
each branch. Of those shrubs which throw up suckers 
from the roots the lilac will occur to most people as a 
well-known example, so if in buying the newer, 
double-flowered, named sorts one will insist upon 
purchasing plants upon their own roots and not be 
satisfied with grafts, he may soon become possessed 
of a quite respectable planting of lilacs of notable 
size and color of bloom. The suckers should be re- 
moved as soon as they have had one season's growth 
for the protection of the parent plant, which will be 
much depleted in bloom by their presence if allowed 
to remain permanently. 

One of the most beautiful foliaged shrubs, the fern- 
leaved sumac, forms root rhizomes which send up fre- 
quent volunteer plants which should be removed and 
replanted. This is one of the most beautiful orna- 
mentals with which I am acquainted, quite rivaling 
the Japanese maples. The leaves are compound or 
pinnate, fifteen to eighteen inches long and of a dark, 
rich green on the upper surface, the stem a rich 



HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 169 

crimson, an elegant, fern-like spray which is very use- 
ful in cut flower work and in autumn turns to the 
most vivid crimson imaginable. It does best when 
protected from severe wind, from which it seems to 
shrink, distorting its symmetrical growth. In good 
rich soil a half dozen offshoots may appear the next 
year after planting, and once one has become familiar 
with its beauty all will be welcome. 

Another shrub or small tree with similar charac- 
teristics is the Aralia spinosa or Hercules' club, as it 
is commonly called. This also has the compound 
leaves, somewhat resembling the black walnut, but of 
gigantic proportions, between two and three feet in 
length and quite as broad, giving the tree a most 
tropical effect. It is very easily transplanted and a 
few trees in a clump are exceedingly effective. Where 
only a single shrub is wanted it is not at all difficult 
to hold it in check by hoeing out the shoots as they 
appear. 

The euonymus, or burning-bush, as it was known to 
the Indians, propagates itself by the means of its 
coral berries, which appear in quantities in late sum- 
mer and fall and remain on the bush until winter. 
One finds the volunteer plants appearing every spring 
in places where one least expects them and can lift 
and transplant them wherever desired. One which for 
years has been a resident of my garden has a pedi- 
gree dating back to early colonial days when its an- 



170 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

cestor grew in the doorj^ard in the old homestead at 
Valley Forge. A grandmother journeying, a young 
wife, into what was then the wilderness of central 
New York, hrought with her to her new home a slip 
of the burning bush, to keep alive, in the new home, 
some familiar reminder of the old. In later years a 
daughter, still following the lure of the trail as it 
looked toward the setting sun, carried a younger scion 
t^ the far plains and woods of northern Indiana and 
when my own mother, still following the westering 
trail, made a new home for herself and little ones 
in Michigan, an offshoot from the bush in Indiana 
was donated, and grows and bears its chocolate col- 
ored flowers and ruddy berries as freely as in the 
limestone soil of Chester County, Pennsylvania. 

Another most attractive shrub which may be easily 
raised from spring sown seed is the Buddleia, a plant 
with long racemes — in the newer forms over twenty 
inches long — of violet mauve flowers of a delightful 
violet fragrance. Spring sown seed will often pro- 
duce flowering plants the first season and the second 
will attain a height of three to five feet and be a 
perfect bouquet of bloom throughout the summer. 
The branches are somewhat pendulous and in the 
young state are the better for a little support. They 
afford delightful material for cut flower work and 
the odor has that fugitive, elusive quality of the violet^ 



HARDY SHRUBS AND TREES 171 

seeming to come from different directions at times 
and to elude one's search. 

It will be found a most excellent plant to use in 

connection with, the Spiraea Yan Houtte, as it comes 
into bloom after that splendid plant has rested on 
its laurels for the summer and keeps the hedge row 
alive with bloom and fragrance. 

LIST OF SHRUBS AND TREES 

LOCA- 

NAME SEASON HEIGHT COLOR TION* 

Abelia grandiflora Summer Small shrub White, rose X Y 

^sculus Hippocastanum 

fl. pi June Tree W;hite X Y 

Amorpha Montana. . . .June 4'- 6' Violet, purple X 

Aralia spinosa Aug. 10'-15' White X Y 

Azalea amcena May 2' Crimson Y 

Azalea mollis May 2' Yellow, orange, 

flame Y 
Bajberry aquifolium.. .May 10'-12' Yellow flowers, 

scarlet berries X Y 
Barberry thunbergii . . . May-June 8'-10' 

Barberry vulgaris May- June 8'-10' Violet X Y 

Buddleia Variabilis 

Veitchiana July-frost 6' Violet, mauve X Y 

Calycanthus Floridus . . May-June 4'- 6' Purplish brown Y 

Caragana (Chamlagu).. April-May 3'- 4' Yellow X 
Caryopteris Mastacan- 

thus Summer-autumn 3'- 4' Lavender, blue X 

Catalpa bignonioides.. .June 20'-30' White, spotted XY 
Cephalanthus occiden- 

talis Mid-summer 4'- 6' Creamy white X 

Cerasus Hortensis fl. pi . April Tree Pink, white X 

Cercis Canadensis April Tree Crimson X Y 

Chimonanthus f ragrans.April 6'- 8' Yellow X 

Chionanthus \'irginica. . June 6'- 8' White X Y 

Cladrastus lutea June Tree White X Y 

Clethra alnifolia July- Aug. 3'- 5' Creamy white X Y 

CornusFlorida, rubra. .May-June 8'-10' White, pink Y 
Crataegus monogyna 

alba plena May- June 10-12' White X 

Cratasgus monogyna 

pauli May-June 10'-12' Bright scarlet X 

Cydonia Japonica May-June 4' Scarlet X 

Cytisus Laburnum .... June 6'- 8' Yellow X Y 

Daphne Cneorum May 6"-8" Pink X Y 

Desmodium penduli- 

florum Sept. 3'- 4' Rose, white X Y 

Dimorphanthus man- 

churicas, aurea All summer Tree Variegated leaved X Y 

*X indicates full sun; Y, partial shade; Z, full shade; XY and XYZ, 
locations combining sun and shade. 



m MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 



LIST OF SHRUBS AND TREES (Continued) 



NAME SEASON 

Dimorphanthus argen- 

tea All summer 

Deutzia, Pride of Roch- 
ester June 

Deutzia crenata fl. pi. . .June 
Deutaia candidissima . .June 

Deutzia gracillis June 

Diervilla floribunda I\Iay-June 

Diervilla Candida May-June 

Elgeagnus lonpipes .... Summer 
Fagus sylvatica pur- 
purea. All summer 

Forsythia Fortunci .... April 
Halesia tetraptera. . . . .May 
Hydrangea grandiflora 

paniculata Aug.-Sept. 

Hydrangea arborescens.June 
Kalmia, latifolia, augus- 

tifolia May-June 

Lonicera Tartarica, alba, 

rosea June- Aug. 

Laburnum Cytisus .... May-June 

Magnolia Kobus May 

Magnolia purpurea. . . .AH summer 
Philadelphus coronarius 

fl. pi June 

Philadelphus purpurea- 
masculata June 

Pyrus Japonica May 

Potentilla f ruticoaa .... July-fall 
Rhodotypes kerrioides. . May 

Rhus Cotinus. Mid-summer 

Rhus glabra laciniata.. .All summer 
Rhus typhina All summer 

Sambucus nigra All summer 

Symphoricarpus race- 

mosus July-Aug. 

Spiraea Van Houttc May 

Spirsea Thunbergii May 

Spiraea, Anthony 

Waterer ..All summer 

Syringa, Mme. Casimir 

Perier May 

Syringa, President 

Grevy May 

Syringa, Souvenir de 

Louis Snathe May 

Syringa, Vir^iuite May 

Tamarix Af ncana May 

Tamarix Indica Aug.-Sept. 

Tamarix aestivalis July 

Vitex Agnus-castus .... Late summer 
Viburnum plicatum. . . . June 

Viburnum Lantana May-June 

Viburnum Carlesi " " 

Xanthoceras sorbif olia . !May 







LOCA- 


HEIGHT COLOR 


TION* 


Tree 


Variegated leaved 


X Y 


6'- 8' 


White 


X Y 


6'- 8' 


Pink 


X Y 


6'- 8' 


White 


X Y 


2' 


White 


X Y 


6'- 8' 


Crimson 


X Y 


6'- 8' 


White 


X Y 


6'- 8' 


Orange fruit 


XY 


Tree 


Purple 


XY 


8'-10' 


Yellow 


X Y 


Tree 


White 


XY 


4'- 5' 


White 


X 


5'- 6' 


White 


Y 


4'- 8' 


White, rose 


Y 


6' 


White, rose 


X Y 


Tree 


Yellow 


X Y 


Tree 


White 


X Y 


10'-12' 


Purple 


X 


10'-12' 


White 


X Y Z 


10'-12' 


White, spotted 






purple 


X Y Z 


4'- 6' 


Scarlet 


X Y 


23^' 


Yellow 


X Y 


4'- 5' 


White 


XY 


8'- 9' 


Purple 


X Y 


4' 


Crimson fruit 


X Y 


4' 


Brilliant fall 






foliage 


X Y 


6'-10' 


Golden 


X Y 


3'- 4' 


Pink 


Z 


5'- 6' 


White 


X Y 


3'- 4' 


White 


XY 


lH'-2' 


Crimson 


XY 


6'- 8' 


White 


XY 


6'- 8' 


Blue 


XY 


6'- 8' 


Reddish-purple 


X Y 


4' 


Blush pink 


XY 


8'-10' 


Pink 


X Y 


8'-10' 


Pink 


X Y 


8'-10' 


Pink 


X Y 


6'- 8' 


Lilac 


X Y 


6'- 8' 


White 


X Y 


9'-12' - 


WHte 


X Y 


Dwarf J 


White 


X Y 


Tree 


White 


X 



CHAPTER XVI 



THE HARDY LILY BED 



From the middle of Au^st until the ground freezes 
one may plant bulbs of hardy lilies with certainty 
of successful florescence and growth the following 
spring, but if the planting is deferred until spring, 
nothing but disaster may be looked for. I know 
that many catalogues offer bulbs of hardy lilies and 
recommend their planting in the spring, but the bulbs 
so offered are those which remained unsold in the fall 
and this method is taken to reduce the loss as much 
as possible. Lily bulbs, to do well after transplant- 
ing, should remain out of the ground the shortest 
possible length of time and bulbs that have been out 
of the ground from August, September or even Octo- 
ber until spring are practically worthless. 

The well-known hardy garden lily candidum, or 
lily of the Annunciation, is one of the first to ripen 
its bulbs as it is the first to bloom. In August it 
completes its period of growth and takes a brief rest 
before throwing out the crown of leaves which re- 
main green throughout the winter; this is the season 

173 



174 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

at which the bulbs should be lifted and reset. They 
do not feel the change then and have time to make 
this fall growth in the new situation. 

In planting the candidum lilies the bulb should 
be placed but an inch or two below the surface, as 
this lily differs materially in this respect from other 
lilies, which, with hardly an exception, require deep 
planting. Like all lilies, a situation which affords 
protection from hot sun in summer and still affords 
sufficient sunshine, is necessary for best results; for 
this reason lilies do best when planted among the 
shrubbery or the plants of the hardy border. A 
mulch of lawn clippings during the hot, dry weather 
of summer, drawn well up about the stems of the 
plant, is beneficial. Anything which prevents the 
earth becoming hot and baked will make for the well- 
fare of the bulb. 

The most important lily after the candidum, and 
far excelling it in beauty, is the stately auratum. 
This is, of all lilies, the finest and most satisfactory. 
It should be planted by the dozen and if the length 
of the purse permits, by the hundred. Plant in well 
drained soil, for water about the bulbs is fatal to 
all lilies, and set the bulbs nine inches deep in thor- 
oughly dug and worked soil, well enriched with old, 
well-decayed manure, but be careful that none of this 
comes in contact with the bulb. A considerable hole 
should be made in the mellow soil to the required 



THE HARDY LILY BED 175 

depth and a handful of clean, sharp sand placed in 
the bottom; on this place a little pad of sphagnum 
moss and on this set the bulb and pack about it suffi- 
cient sand to cover it and fill in the hole with earth 
and place a stick or stone to mark the location ox 
each bulb. A good sized stone placed at one side of 
each point, so that the lilies may come up on the 
same side of each stone is a safeguard when clearing 
off the bed in the spring and is less apt to be de- 
stroyed than a small stake. 

Where the drainage is not naturally good it will be 
time well spent to excavate the bed to a depth of two 
or more feet and fill in several inches of broken stone 
and gravel, discarding the subsoil, if undesirable, 
especially if it contains clay or hardpan and using the 
surface soil in its place and adding a good garden 
loam, leaf mold and some sharp sand to the surface 
layer. Worms and ants — two chief enemies of lilies 
— are much less apt to exist in well drained soil 
than in damp or unwholesome earth. 

For low beds of solid color or for borders on beds 
of taller lilies the little Siberian lily, tenuifolium, is 
exceedingly interesting and satisfactory. It grows 
only about a foot high and its dainty, recurved blos- 
soms are of the most dazzling vermilion scarlet imag- 
inable. It is one of the first to bloom and is per- 
fectly hardy. The bulbs are small and should not 
be planted quite so deep as the larger varieties. 



176 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

Exceedingly popular and of the easiest culture, the 
Speciosum lilies are found in nearly all gardens where 
lilies are known and loved. They differ materially in 
manner of growth, being less erect than the candi- 
dums and auratums, and branching quite freely. The 
flowers, which are sharply recurved, show the pure 
white, green veined flower of Speciosum album, the 
white, splashed and spotted with crimson of Specio- 
sum roseum and the deeper colored crimson and rose 
of the Speciosum melpomene. The Speciosums are 
a more persistent lily than almost any other fine 
variety and should be planted in permanent quarters 
and not disturbed as long as they are doing well. 
Should trouble appear, however, the bulbs should be 
lifted during their period of rest and examined; 
usually it will be found that worms or ants have 
made nests in the bulbs, or decay has attacked them. 
In either case the bulbs should be thoroughly cleaned 
and all injured or decayed scales removed (usually 
these may be utilized to start new bulbs, as, if planted 
in clean sand, each scale Avill produce, at its base, a 
tiny bulblet which in two or three years will develop 
into a blossoming bulb) and the bulb reset in a new 
place in perfectly clean soil and with sharp sand 
about it. 

It is a question if any lily other than white will 
rival our affection for the old candidum, but there 
are several white lilies and white, tinted with other 



THE HARDY LILY BED ITT 

shades which are very desirable. Longiflorum multi- 
florum, so popular as an Easter lily, succeeds ad- 
mirably in the open ground. Lilium Philippense, a 
new lily from the Philippines, as its name indicates, 
comes very highly recommended and much resembles 
the Harrisi, but the flowers are rather more slender 
and much longer — nearly nine inches — the diameter 
of the flower being some six or seven inches, so it 
will be seen that it is something of a flower. The 
growth, however, is not as stately as that of the 
candidum or auratum, being only about two feet high. 
Browni is a beautiful lily, tall and statelj^, with trum- 
pet shaped flowers of a creamy white inside and pur- 
ple outside, while the beautiful Parryi — another trum- 
pet-shaped flower — has long, wax-like chalices of 
golden yellow, a color almost as desirable as white. 
Washingtonianum gigantium — a variety often reach- 
ing the imposing height of six or eight feet, and 
Hansoni, a beautiful yellow, dotted with purple, are 
other of the rarer sorts, while any number of orange 
red and spotted lilies are to be had, some of them 
quite desirable, but should be selected from the blos- 
soming plant rather than from the catalogues, to 
avoid disappointment. 

Protect the lily bed in fall, after the ground has 
frozen lightly, with a few inches of rough litter held 
in place with brush and do not remove until severe 
freezing weather has passed in the spring and then 



178 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

only remove the coarsest, leaving sufficient to pro- 
tect the young shoots, in case of a late frost, for 
lily shoots are very tender when first they appear 
above ground and I have seen a whole bed of four 
or five inch shoots literally cooked by a late frost, 
and while that does not alwaj^s kill the bulb it does 
do away with any chance of bloom for that season. 



CHAPTER XVII 



BULBS FOR FALL PLANTING 



I WOULD like to urge every owner of a garden or a 
bit of permanent lawn, to make a special effort this 
fall towards the liberal planting of spring-blooming 
bulbs, for, believe me, they are the most valuable 
asset of the garden. Hardy shrubs and perennials 
are equally important in point of possession but do 
not yield the immediate return that one realizes from 
hardy bulbs. All of the bulbs which the florists 
offer for fall planting are specially prepared in Hol- 
land and in Japan for the trade and each bulb holds, 
folded in its enveloping sheath of scales or tissue, 
the embryo flower bud, which only requires the fos- 
tering care of nature to spring into insistent life and 
beauty at the awakening of spring. 

Crocus, hyacinth, tulips, scillas, anemones and all 
the fair cortege of swaying, fragrant blossoms are 
as certain to repay the trifling cost and trouble of 
their planting as weeds are to spring up, or grass 
to grow where it is not wanted. Shrubs give little, 
if any, return the first year and many of them re- 

179 



180 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

quire several years to come into sufficient size and 
beauty to be notable, but bulbs are at their best from 
the start and require little attention for several years 
after planting; many of them, especially the narcis- 
sus, jonquils, daffodils, and hardy lilies, requiring to 
be left entirely alone until a crowded condition makes 
it necessary to lift and divide the clumps and reset 
in fresh soil. 

Crocus are at their best when planted in the grass 
of the lawn, about trees, and in situations where it 
will not be necessary to run the lawn mower at too 
early a day, as they require time to mature their 
leaves before being cut, otherwise there will be no 
lovely chalices of white, of gold or of blue the follow- 
ing spring. In planting it is only necessary to lift 
a bit of sod and thrust the corm down an inch or 
more into the soil, pressing back the sod above it, 
and that is all. Buy the large, mammoth, many- 
flowered sorts which give a dozen or more blooms to 
a bulb and plant them singly and in groups in as care- 
less, natural a way as possible. 

Crocus may also be used to border beds of peren- 
nials or to fill in beds of larger bulbs such as tulips, 
hyacinths or lilies and are especially effective with 
scillas. 

The tulip and the hyacinth are, probably, first in 
the affection of the flower loving gardener. Certainly 
they are, of all spring-flowering bulbs, the most showy. 



BULBS FOR FALL PLANTING 181 

Tulips have the advantage of being easily raised and 
so moderate in price that all may afford to plant 
liberally of them and it is always an economy, when 
planting this bulb to purchase by the hundred rather 
than by the dozen. If one is not desirous of geomet- 
rical designs it will be found cheaper to buy the 
mixed bulbs, but where beds of uniform color and 
height are desired one should study the catalogues 
and select those of uniform height and equal season 
of bloom. I like to grow tulips as a border to beds 
of hardy perennials or shrubbery, planting the bulbs 
about a foot apart and four inches deep. This al- 
lows the bulbs to make a natural increase into effective 
clumps. In planting in solid beds or as a border 
where the bulbs are to be lifted after ripening and 
replanted in the fall, they should be set but five 
inches apart. 

Hyacinths, which require practically the same treat- 
ment, should be planted at least seven inches apart 
and four deep. Like all bulbs they require rich, 
well drained soil but no manure should be allowed 
to come in contact with the bulbs and only old, well 
decayed manure should be incorporated in the soil 
of the bed. 

Narcissus, the most beautiful and satisfactory of 
all spring bulbs, should be planted in long rows for 
best effect and in a position where they can remain 
undisturbed for several years. I like a position on 



182 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the east side of a shrubbery border or hedge best, as 
the ground is then protected from the sun during 
the hottest weather, when the bulbs are ripening and 
preparing for another season's bloom, while the de- 
ciduous nature of the shrubs allows an abundance 
of sunshine early in the spring when the bulbs are 
in bloom. Plant narcissus four inches deep and 
twelve inches apart. This allows for the increase 
of the bulbs, which form in a circle around the orig- 
inal bulb and the clumps should not be disturbed 
until they have completely closed up the space be- 
tween them, and not even then until they begin to 
show, by a falling off in bloom, that this is neces- 
sary ; then the bulbs should be lifted and divided and 
reset in fresh soil. It is always well to set in triple 
rows, as the effect is better from the start, and, if 
only the largest bulbs are used for the new planting — 
the smaller being planted in some less conspicuous 
place to develop — the effect will be good from the 
start. Narcissus, daffodils and jonquils all require 
the same treatment. 

In selecting narcissus one should choose freely of 
the big, trumpet varieties, such as Horsfeldii, Em- 
peror, Empress, Sir Watkins, Mrs. Langtry and the 
like; these mammoth blooms are not only very beau- 
tiful and conspicuous, but have the additional merit 
of remaining in bloom a surprising length of time. 
The old-fashioned Von Sion should find a place in 



BULBS FOR FALL PLANTING 183 

every garden and the Poet's Narcissus should be 
one of the most conspicuous; this and the Pheasant's 
Eye are exceedingly fragrant and a very satisfactory 
cut flower. 

There are many other spring-blooming bulbs of 
lesser importance and less certainty of culture which 
are useful for filling in odd corners, but none is of 
the importance of these few already mentioned and 
many of them fail entirely in the hands of the ama- 
teur. In sections where the snow remains on the 
ground all winter, snowdrops may be cultivated with 
success and are one of the most welcome harbingers 
of spring, but are unreliable in sections where the 
winter is broken with sudden changes of temperature. 
Where it is practicable to grow them they should 
be planted two inches deep and three inches apart iu 
well-drained soil. Blooming at about the same time, 
the Lebanon Flower, Puschkinia libanotica, is effective 
for planting back of lower-growing bulbs or for nat- 
uralizing among shrubbery where it may remain 
undisturbed for three or four years. This has large 
spikes of white flowers delicately striped with blue 
and resembles somewhat the single hyacinth. Orni- 
thogalums are striking plants with tall spikes of 
white flowers with jet-black centers and an agree- 
able perfume and should be grown in clumps of a 
half-dozen or more in the hardy border, or inter- 
spersed among shrubbery. 



184 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

Although entirely hardy, bulbs do better if given a 
covering of rough manure or litter in the fall. This 
not only protects but prevents the heaving of the 
ground under the action of frost, a process which 
often tears the tender roots away from the bulb or, 
if planted too shallow, throws it out of the ground, 
either process proving fatal. 

PLANTING TABLE FOR BULBS 

Distance 

Depth apart Planting 

Name inches inches season 

Anemone 1 6 Spring 

Crocus 2 21/2 Fall 

Colchicums 3 3 Fall 

Hyacinths 4 7 Fall 

Jonquils 3 6 Fall 

Narcissus 4 12 Fall 

Scillas 3 3 Fall 

Snowdrops 2 3 Fall 

Tulips 4 5 Fall 

Ixias 2 3 Fall 

Winter aconite 2 3 Fall 

The ''depth" indicates the soil above the bulb. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

PALL WORK IN THE GARDEN 

Fall work in the garden should really commence 
about the fifteenth of August, at which time one 
should begin to make sowings of hardy perennials 
for the next year's garden. I always try to get my 
pansy seed into the ground by the middle of the 
month if possible and to lift and move my Annuncia- 
tion lilies at that time. They are then dormant and 
the disturbance does them no harm, though even a 
week later it will, as they will have again begun 
preparation for the next season's period of bloom. 

This, too, is the season for lifting and resetting 
all of the narcissus family. "Wistarias can be trimmed 
this month with advantage also. 

Where one has the convenience of a coldframe or 
a spent hotbed the conditions for sowing seeds of 
hardy perennials are all that could be desired, but 
where these are not at hand or the hotbed has been 
utilized for summer plants, like crinums or amaryllis, 
then one must improvise a plant bed in some out- 
of-the-way corner. Any bit of good, friable soil will 

185 



186 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

answer. It should be made fine and mellow and 
should, by preference, be surrounded with a board 
frame. This need be but a few inches high and 
may be just four boards held together with stakes, or 
the boards may be nailed together at the corners and 
the frame set over the ground after the seeds are 
planted. 

If there is any probability of the ground being dis- 
turbed by chickens, cats or dogs, it will be best to 
^ail lath across the top of the boards, placing them the 
width of the lath apart. This is a good plan any 
way, as it affords a shade for tender little seedlings. 

Seeds of many hardy perennials may be sown in 
the fall, making a distinct gain in time and also 
lessening the amount of work to be done in the 
spring, when there is always more to do than one 
can find time for. 

Among the seeds which it best pays to sow are the 
antirrhinum, digitalis, delphinium, poppies — espe- 
cially perennial varieties — nicotianas, primrose, or 
cowslips, lychnis, sweet alyssum, golden saxatile, hi- 
biscus and the like. 

Such fine seed as poppies do not need to be covered ; 
merely scatter as thinly as possible over the soil. As 
poppy seed always comes up much too thick no mat- 
ter how thinly one trys to sow it, it is a good plan to 
mix a packet of the seed with a teacup full of dry 
sand and scatter this as thinly and evenly as possible. 



FALL WORK IN THE GARDEN 187 

Larger seed, like that of the pansy, can be sown in 
shallow drills, pressing the ridges of soil back upon 
it and pressing all down firmly with a piece of smooth 
board. This pressing down of the soil is very impor- 
tant and insures the tiny seed against drying out, as 
might occur, did it lie in ever so small a hole between 
two grains of earth. Press all these particles of 
earth together and the little seed is safe. 

Plant each variety of seed in a section by itself, 
as was done with the spring sown seeds in the hot- 
bed, separating them with strips of wood and label- 
ing each with name and date of sowing. "Water the 
bed thoroughly, but with a very fine-rosed watering 
pot, unless the soil is quite moist, when only a light 
watering will be needed. Cover for the first few days 
witTi a newspaper, or until the seedlings appear. 
Then remove so that they may have all the sun and 
air possible. 

If, later in the season, before severe cold weather, 
there should be an empty coldframe or hotbed avail- 
able, the more tender sorts of plants may be trans- 
planted into it, setting the little plants an inch or 
more apart each way, according to the amount of 
room.. Pansy plants will come up and make consid- 
erable growth before cold weather and it is a dis- 
tinct advantage to transplant into a coldframe anc'. 
winter under glass. Handled in this way they should 
be showing buds when ready to transplant into the 



188 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

open ground in April and be in bloom by the first of 
May. 

The plants which are left in the open beds should 
be protected at the approach of cold weather by hav- 
ing sash, boards or canvas placed over the beds — 
anything which will shed water — and being lightly 
banked with leaves. Evergreen boughs, when avail- 
able, make the very best of covering. 

In growing the hardy grasses it is quite important 
that they should be started in spring and wintered 
over in a coldframe and set into permanent places 
in the following spring. Treated in this way, one will 
soon come into possession of a valuable stock of these 
stately plants at a very nominal cost. 

]\Iost hardy perennials and shrubs which bloom in 
the spring may be moved in the fall with marked 
benefit, providing the work is done early enough to 
allow the roots to become established before cold 
weather. Deciduous shrubs should not be lifted be- 
fore the leaves have fallen or begun to fall, but after 
that time the work should progress as rapidly as 
possible. Spring blooming plants which have an 
evergreen crown of leaves may be lifted any time 
after they have completed their season's growth, but 
such plants as the Japanese anemone should not be 
disturbed at this season. These and the chrysanthe- 
mums, golden glow, tritomas and other late bloomers 
are better divided and moved in the spring. 



FALL WORK IN THE GARDEN 189 

As soon as the first frost has killed the summer 
annuals the beds should be gone over and all dead 
growth removed and the beds raked over and put 
in shape for spring work. It is an excellent plan, 
when the beds are to remain empty until late spring, 
to sow some sort of a cover crop — crimson clover, 
rye or the like — and turn this under in the spring 
sufficiently early for it to decay before putting in 
the new crop of annuals or other flowers. This re- 
places the constantly decreasing supply of humus, as 
well as protects the ground from leaching during 
winter — another source of wasted fertility. 

If one has found a certain planting unsuccessful, 
either from an unfavorable location or from a poor 
arrangement of form and color, one can, at this time, 
rectify the error by changing the arrangement. One 
of the most interesting features of gardening is this 
studying out of the question of form and color har- 
mony. It is not always possible to strike just the 
right note in the planting of unfamiliar things, but 
it is always possible to learn from experience and to 
profit by one's failures. If one has found a plant- 
ing unharmonious and is at a loss as to just what 
new combination to try, one can quite easily solve 
the problem by gathering the flowers of the plant 
in question and carrying them around the garden, 
placing them by the side of different plants until one 
is found which harmonizes with it. If the plant is a 



190 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

large, free-flowered one so that large sprays can be 
taken, these may be stuck in the ground and one can 
retire to a distance and note the effect. Flowers 
which combine well in a bouquet will always combine 
well in a garden. 

One of the combinations I have always found suc- 
cessful is scarlet and white. Nicotiana affinis and 
salvias always are fine together; so also are scarlet 
lychnis and white clematis. There is a soft, rose- 
colored lychnis which, when it can be induced to 
bloom sufficiently early, as in warm, protected bor- 
ders, is lovely with the white of Deutzia gracilis. In- 
deed, white is a perfectly safe combination for mixing 
with any other color. Most shades of mauve will 
harmonize with yellow and with many shades of rose 
and scarlet, but do not go well with reds or magentas. 

At this time of the year one should repair all gar- 
den construction, as of fences, trellises, pergolas, 
seats, gates, paths and the like. An already weak- 
ened part is quite apt to succumb under a winter 
storm or avalanche of snow or sleet. Then, too, it 
is a distinct advantage to have all this part of the 
work out of the way before the busy days of spring, 
when there is always so much more to do than there 
is time for. The fall is, of all times, the best for 
getting rid of weeds, as at this time all such growths 
may be pulled up and burned, preferably on the 
spot in which they grew, and thus the seedling of 



FALL WORK IN THE GARDEN 191 

another crop be prevented. If carried any distance 
there is danger of scattering the seeds, and those 
already shed beneath the plant are not destroyed 
but are left to germinate and make trouble another 
year. If all seed pods are kept off of perennial 
plants the care of the garden will be much simpli- 
fied, as seedling plants are just as much trouble to 
eradicate as any other form of weed growth. Phlox, 
especially, should not be allowed to self -sow, as it is 
sure to prove a nuisance, especially when it gains a 
foothold in the paony beds, as it will come up in the 
clumps and it is impossible to dislodge it without 
injury to the pseonies. Frequently it becomes neces- 
sary to lift the plants and disentangle the roots from 
the phlox. 



CHAPTER XIX 



WINTER PROTECTION 



The whole subject of winter protection resolves 
itself into an intelligent understanding of what one 
should protect from, the various conditions of the 
winter weather and the habits and constitutions of 
the things to be protected. People living in regions 
of perpetual winter snow, where the fall comes early 
and remains on the ground until well into the spring 
months have the question practically settled for them 
offhand; it is merely necessary to leave things to 
Mother Nature who will take excellent care of them. 
There is no covering which man can devise which 
will equal in efficiency the blanket of cold, white 
snow, as it protects equally from cold, sudden 
changes to a higher temperature and sunshine, which 
odd as it may seem, is really worse for a plant at the 
winter season of its existence than severe cold, for this 
reason — the sunshine stirs the plant to life, drawing 
the sap up into twigs and branches, then the cold 
swoops down, freezing the imprisoned sap and ex- 
panding it beyond the capacity of the plant's cells, 

192 



WINTER PROTECTION 193 

"whicli, unable to stand the strain, are ruptured and 
the plant destroyed. 

Any protection which ignores this condition must 
prove ineffective. The most perfect covering is one 
which preserves the most even temperature, and for 
this re-ison it is best to defer placing any kind of 
covering over plants, trees or shrubs till they have 
completed their season of growth and shed their 
leaves and become practically dormant. If, in addi- 
tion to this, the ground is already frozen so that 
the protection ma}^ hold the frost in the ground, so 
much the better. To keep the majority of plants in 
cold storage from the time they are laid down in 
the fall until they are awakened in the spring should 
be the aim with all but the most tender of plants. 
Tender roses and water lilies, on the other hand, are 
benefited by a covering which keeps out frost, though 
not excluding air, for plants need air even during 
their long winter's sleep. For this reason it is al- 
ways well, in protecting such plants as do not die 
down to the ground in fall, to give the necessary 
amount of covering and then protect the covering 
itself by boards or something which will shed water, 
always remembering to allow room for the circula- 
tion of air. In covering single plants of low growth 
it is generally convenient to pile leaves lightly about 
it and then turn a box over the whole. This not only 
keeps out wet but retains the leaves in place, but in 



194 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

doing this it will be well to knock out both ends of 
the box and set it with the closed side against the 
weather, then if the leaves do become wet they will 
quickly dry out and not remain a wet, moldy mass 
about the crown of the plant. 

But dr^mess about the crown of a plant is impos- 
sible if a poorly drained soil permits water to set- 
tle about the roots in winter. There are many 
plants which are not injured, but rather benefited, 
by a wet soil in summer, but only marsh and aquatic 
plants enjoy a damp bed in winter, so where there 
is not sufficiently good drainage to insure the prompt 
shedding of water the bed should be raised suffi- 
ciently, by the addition of more soil or by cutting 
down the surrounding soil or the digging of a drain- 
age channel about and away from the plant, fol- 
lowing the slope of the land, to insure against trou- 
ble. 

Some plants are not injured by the presence of ice 
about the roots in winter, while others are very 
sensitive. I have a beautiful variegated woodbine or 
vitis on the north side of the house where the ice 
banks up over the roots every winter, but it comes out 
flourishing in the spring, though not afforded the 
slightest protection throughout our long, severe north- 
em winters ; the drainage, however, is perfect. 

I think it always is better to leave a plant unpro- 
tected, as to its top, if it is hard}^ enough to endure 



WINTER PROTECTION 195 

this treatment, but few plants are injured by a good 
mulch of rough barn-yard litter about the roots, 
which not only protects but feeds. 

Where a plant is protected beyond its actual needs 
a tender growth is likely to be favored in the late 
days of winter or early spring, which the cold, usually 
following on unseasonable weather, injures. Anyway, 
this tender growth is seldom as desirable as the 
hardier more rugged putting forth of the unprotected 
plant and the greatest difficulties I have met with in 
wintering plants has come from injudicious protec- 
tion—protection which seemed demanded but proved 
enervating to the plant. 

Plants which die down to the ground in winter 
usually have sufficient top growth, if broken down 
about the plant, to give all the protection needed. 
Plants which do not die down, but make a winter 
crown of leaves, like the hollyhocks, Canterbury bells, 
and pansies, are often a problem, as they require a 
considerable amount of air during winter. Ever- 
green boughs provide the very best covering, as they 
shut out wind and sun and admit air. Where plants 
are grown in long rows I have had good results 
by driving a few notched stakes into the ground be- 
tween the rows lengthwise of the beds, placing poles 
on these and hanging evergreen boughs over the poles, 
the ends trailing on the ground. This is an excel- 
lent arrangement for roses, azaleas, rhododendrons 



196 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

and the like, also for pansies, foxgloves and flowers 
of that sort. In places where the beds are not too 
much in evidence, and evergreen boughs not avail- 
able, corn fodder may be used and the sweet-corn 
patch may have its usefulness extended by furnishing 
a warm covering for the taller plants in need of 
shelter. 

In protecting tender roses, azaleas and rhododen- 
drons, however, I have found it profitable to further 
protect the roots by placing pieces of sod about them, 
bringing it well up about the stems and fastening 
it there with stout cord. Most of the injury to tea 
roses occurs near the ground where the frost heaves 
the earth away from the stem, admitting the cold, 
and it is no unusual thing to find the stems rup- 
tured at this point. This the sod effectually prevents. 
Small plants may be quite covered in this way and 
will come through the winter in fine shape. 

Vines of a tender nature, especially clematis, should 
be laid down if practicable and covered with dry 
leaves and boards. Hardy vines, especially those 
which cling naturally to walls, as the trumpet vine, 
Boston ivy and the like, should not be disturbed. The 
Boston ivy is somewhat tender and may be protected 
during its first winter or two by tacking burlap, 
matting or old carpet over it, first securing the ends 
of the burlap, etc., to strips of wood and securing 
these in turn to the wall or trellis on which the 



WINTER PROTECTION 197 

vine is growing. It is a good plan, in putting up 
trellises or netting for vines, to have their winter 
protection in mind and arrange them so that they 
can be released with little trouble. Wire netting 
which is stapled firmly to a wall cannot be easily re- 
moved. Better staple it to a stout piece of wood 
which in turn may be attached to the house by hooks 
at the top, and to stout stakes driven into the ground 
at the base. 

Bulbs and hardy lilies need little protection other 
than a mulch of rough barn-yard manure. All trees 
and shrubs are improved by the same treatment. In 
the vegetable garden the tender globe artichokes 
should have the large leaves cut back and the crowns 
of the plants covered with coal ashes. The cold 
frames should be provided with water-proof coverings 
and mats for the more severe months of the winter. 
It is seldom that anything is needed inside the 
frames. 

The lily pools should have the water drained off, 
the pool filled with leaves and a cover of boards or 
canvas put over all. The cover should extend a cou- 
ple of feet on all sides of the pool and the leaves be 
stuffed tightly between the edges and the pool, as 
quite as much damage results to the walls of the 
pool from the heaving of the ground under frost as 
from frost inside the pool. 

If one is the fortunate possessor of a few discarded 



198 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

doors they may be made useful in affording a snu^ 
corner to some tender shrub too large to burlap. 
The door should be placed at an angle to shut off the 
sun and the prevailing wind and firmly braced in 
position or it may cause far more damage than it 
prevents. 

Care of house plants during winter depends so 
largely upon the conditions under which they are to 
be grown that only general hints will be really prac- 
tical. When there is a conservatory, where the plants 
can, at will, be shut away from the atmosphere of 
the living room and given a semi-greenhouse condi- 
tion, the matter resolves itself into a simple matter 
of heat, moisture and proper ventilation; but where 
one must depend upon a bay window, which is really 
a part of the living room, or even just the ordinary 
living room windows, then the matter becomes more 
complicated and the wise flower lover will content 
herself or himself with growing those plants least 
exacting in their requirements. 

It is possible, however, so to arrange a bay window 
of fair proportions that it becomes, in effect, a minia- 
ture conservatory or greenhouse, and this without an 
unreasonable outlay. The important point here is a 
watertight floor which may be separated from the liv- 
ing room floor, either by sinking it somewhat below 
the level, by introducing a strip of wood in the shape 
of a sill so that any water on the floor of the bay 



WINTER PROTECTION 199 

may not intrude upon the living room floor, or by 
the construction of a shallow groove at this point, 
connected with the outside of the house so as to 
carry off any surplus moisture. For, while we are 
not planning to convert the bay window into an 
aquatic garden, we do want to make it possible to 
spray the occupants of the bay thoroughly over, under 
and through their foliage and, no matter with how 
fine a spray this is done, more or less water will 
trickle to the floor. Of course the floor must be cov- 
ered with some waterproof material, tile, cement or 
even linoleum, but if this can be arranged, it is al- 
most safe to say that one may make a success of 
almost any variety of plants one wishes to grow, 
provided there is the proper amount of sunshine and 
even ordinary care. 

We hear a great deal about coal stoves and fur- 
naces being uncongenial sources of heat, and that 
plants will not thrive where gas is used. I do not 
agree with this theory in its entirety. I have grown 
the most delicate flowers successfully in rooms heated 
with an ordinary coal stove by giving them abundant 
room to grow, warm south and east windows and 
showering them thoroughly every day or two. I have 
also had excellent success with furnace heated rooms, 
but in this case the furnace used contained a very 
large and effective water pan in which the water was 



200 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

always at the boiling point, so that abundant mois- 
ture was supplied to the atmosphere. 

Some arrangement for closing off the bay from 
the adjoining room should be provided, if possible, 
either in the way of curtains, sliding glass doors 
or similar means, as this will allow one to regulate 
the temperature and moisture at will. A register in 
the bay with a pan of water inside, occupying about 
half of the opening in the register, is an excellent 
arrangement, as there is, then, a constant current 
of warm, moist air arising. 

If one wishes to grow a considerable variety of 
flowers it will be well to fit the tops of the lower 
sash with shelves for the accommodation of such 
plants as require a higher temperature, for it must be 
remembered that heat rises and the top of the sash 
is much warmer than the sill. 

One should never crowd the flowers, no matter 
what accommodations you are able to give them. 
Give each plant sufficient room so that no part of 
it touches its neighbor; if you have any kind of 
success with your plants this winter they will grow, 
and they will blossom, and blossoms need room, not 
alone to bloom but to exhibit their beauty and this 
they cannot do if crowded together, and don't, don't, 
don't waste the energy of your plants by constantly 
turning them around in a mistaken desire to give 
each part its supply of sunshine. The plant will at- 



WINTER PROTECTION 201 

tend to that if you will just leave it alone and, in a 
few weeks, will present a solid bank of perfect, beau- 
tifully colored foliage with buds springing from 
every twig. No one thing, unless it is poor drainage, 
will so surely cause the buds of many plants to blast 
as changing their position when they are coming into 
bloom. 

It is always a misfortune that plants in the house 
have to receive their light from one side, but, as one 's 
house or bays are usually arranged, this is unavoid- 
able, and the best thing to do is to give the plant 
room and let it adjust itself. 

Another very common mistake in growing house- 
plants is to give them too large a pot which the 
plants waste their energy in a vain attempt to fill 
with roots. Of course there are a few plants which 
make an excessive root growth, such, for instance, as 
the Asparagus Sprengeri or the cyperus. These both 
require large pots and generous feeding to be at their 
best at any time, while, on the other hand, geraniums, 
which make a small growth of fibrous root, require 
rather limited quarters in which to do their best. 

It is better to grow plants in quite small pots and 
shift frequently into those just one size larger as 
they fill the pots with roots, not before, and alwaj^s, 
always give abundant drainage of broken crock, char- 
coal and sphagnum moss in the bottom of the pots. 
The bigger the pots the more drainage material is 



202 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

needed, and be sure and leave sufficient room at the 
top — at least an inch — for watering. 

And right here is where the average amateur falls 
down — in watering her plants. Of course there are 
people who care enough to grow plants who some- 
times forget to water them at all, but the opposite 
course is more universal and plants are deluged with 
water day after day whether they need it or not. 
With facilities for spraying it will not be necessary 
to water the earth in the pots of any but the most 
moisture-loving plants, until they are quite dry ; then 
sufficient water should be given to soak thoroughly the 
ball of earth, so that it runs through into the saucer 
— which should always be emptied as soon as the 
drainage has ceased. Sometimes it will be noticed 
that water runs through at once; this indicates one 
of two things — either the earth is so filled with fibrous 
roots that the water cannot penetrate and runs off 
between the earth and the sides of the pot, or the 
earth is too hard for it to pass through. In the first 
place the plants should be repotted or, if this is not 
practicable, a sharp stick should be run down through 
the ball, opening up numerous channels for the water, 
and the surface soil thoroughly stirred. Plants in 
this condition are much benefited by standing in a 
basin of water until the earth is thoroughly soaked. 

Where it happens that the earth in the pot is hard 
it should be stirred up from the surface as much as 



WINTER PROTECTION 203 

possible and watered by standing in a basin of water. 
Such a condition, however, indicates the use of poor 
soil, soil containing too little humus, and it would be 
well to repot with a good compost containing one part 
leaf mold, one part sharp sand, one of good garden 
loam and one of old, well-rotted manure. 

Plants are in much better condition for watering 
when the surface soil is kept loose and friable. Plants 
which have been repotted in good, rich soil in late 
summer or fall should not need fertilizer during the 
winter, but where they are growing and blooming 
freely it sometimes seems called for, and for an indoor 
fertilizer I have found nothing better than the fol- 
lowing. 

One and one-half part (ounces or pounds) Nitrate 
of Soda. 

One part (ounces or pounds) Sulphate of Potash. 

One-half part (ounces or pounds) Phosphate of 
Soda. 

Mix and pulverize the material thoroughly. When 
required for use put a rounding tablespoonful of the 
mixture in a gallon of hot water and use when cool 
in the proportion of a teacupful to a six-inch pot. 
Of course one may use the commercial fertilizer, 
which is much cheaper, but the ingredients from the 
druggist are strictly pure, odorless and go much 
further. 



204 MxVKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

All the asparagus ferns require a fertilizer during 
winter; indeed the only way to grow these plants 
indoors is to use fertilizers, for unless this is done 
the plants require so large a pot as to be unmanage- 
able. Asparagus Sprengeri, when grown in tubs or 
window boxes out of doors in the summer, makes a 
magnificent growth and, if potted in fall in a twelve- 
inch pot and kept well watered and fertilized, makes 
a fine showing all winter and is quite sufficient, in 
itself, for the decoration of one window or corner 
of the room. The pot should stand on a pedestal 
where the long sprays can sweep down unrestrained 
and one which is easily turned is preferable, for, al- 
though this plant requires little light, it should be 
turned occasionally towards the light to prevent the 
sprays turning up and backwards. 

Another most satisfactory plant for the house is 
found in the aspidistra. This plant needs only to 
be potted in good compost, containing a reasonable 
amount of old, well decayed manure or some bone 
meal, or both, regularly supplied with water and the 
leaves kept free from dust by sponging or showering. 
It does well in almost any window, but probably bet- 
ter in an east or north window where a little sun- 
shine comes. Once established, it should not be dis- 
turbed, as it dislikes change. For this reason the 
pot should not be turned around in the window. 

All the primrose family make satisfactory winter 



WINTER PROTECTION 205 

plants, especially the Baby primroses. These are 
practically ever bloomers and require only to have 
the withered flower stalks removed as they fade. 
Primroses appear to best advantage when grown in 
window boxes, making that loveliest of all things — 
a primrose window. Choose clear scarlets and pure 
whites by preference. Plunge the pots in boxes, 
filling in between with sand or sphagnum moss, kept 
constantly moist and they will be things of beauty 
all winter. Do not overwater and see that the drain- 
age in the pots is sufficient and that the crown of 
the plants stands rather high in the pot, so that 
water may run from, rather than settle around, the 
crown, but always allow an inch of space between the 
soil and the top of the pot in potting any plant, for 
the necessary watering. 

Calceolarias and cinerarias are most satisfactory 
plants for winter blooming, as they are certain of 
bloom and easily cared for. Cinerarias are apt to 
be infested with green lice and for this must be 
sprayed with tobacco tea, or if not in bloom may be 
treated with hot water— at about 136° if the plant 
is to be dipped, which should always be done if 
practicable, or 140° if used as a spray. The hot 
water bath may be used in place of insecticides in 
nearly all cases of infected plants with superior re- 
sults. The hot bath not only kills all insect life, but 
also cleanses and refreshes the foliage. It is sure 



206 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

death to the red spider — that pest so difficult to dis- 
lodge. In using fill a large pail or dish, place a cloth 
or paper over the soil and place the hand on this, 
straddling the stem of the plant and dip the entire 
plant in the water, holding it there at least a minute 
or while you count sixty. 

Almost all greenhouse plants may be grown from 
seed started in flats in the house in early spring or 
in flats in a hotbed, potted off as soon as large enough 
to handle into thumb pots and plunged in boxes of 
wet sand in the open air in a sheltered position — 
on the east side of the house, if possible. They should 
be shifted into larger — just one size larger — pots as 
they fill with roots until by fall they should be in 
six-inch pots and full of buds ready for winter bloom- 
ing. Where one has a penchant for geraniums it 
will be well worth while to plant seed of Lady Wash- 
ington or Pelargonium geraniums in spring for win- 
ter blooming. These are so much finer than the 
zonale geraniums and so much more certain to bloom 
that they should always find a place in the winter 
window garden. 

If one has a few palms, aspidistras and ferns, then 
one may supply blossoming plants by planting freely 
of spring blooming bulbs such as tulips, narcissus, 
hyacinths, crocus and the like. Begin planting in 
September and continue until the first of December, 
planting in window boxes, by preference, but putting 



WINTER PROTECTION Wl 

a considerable number of Easter lilies, narcissus and 
like tall-growing things in pots — at least three large 
bulbs of narcissus or tulips in a four-inch pot. Place 
these in a cool dark cellar until the pots fill with 
roots and growth shows above ground, then bring up 
in relays as needed. In this way one may have 
abundance of the loveliest flowers all winter, and these 
forced bulbs have a freshness and spring-time beauty 
not approached by any other class of plants. They 
are perfectly certain of bloom, inexpensive and of 
such easy culture as to be perfectly safe for the 
amateur to undertake. 

As far as possible plants should be protected from 
a low temperature at night but this should be done 
by making the windows secure against draught and 
keeping the temperature of the room above freezing 
rather than by moving them out of the windows at 
night — an undertaking full of annoyance and labor 
and likely to result in more or less damage to plants. 
A night temperature of about fifty degrees will keep 
plants in good shape. Should plants become frosted, 
however, they should be at once removed to a cool 
dark room where the temperature can be lowered 
to barely above freezing, until they thaw out, or they 
may be taken to a cold hath room and sprayed with 
water not over 33 degrees. After being frozen all 
injured leaves and twigs should be removed and the 
plant brought into as rapid growth as possible. 



CHAPTER XX 

PLANT ENEMIES AND INSECTICIDES 

From tlie burgeoning of the first leaf until the lay- 
ing aside of the garden after the completion of its 
season of growth, all sorts of enemies dispute the 
possession of flower and leaf. We plant a garden 
in April fondly cherishing the happy delusion that 
it belongs to us, but, apparently, this is not the case, 
as every bug and worm and beetle and fly known to 
science claims squatter 's-right to the free enjoyment 
of our possessions. 

Almost the first pest to put in appearance will be 
aphis of all sorts and colors, but of a uniformly 
ravenous appetite. Usually the first plants to be af- 
fected will be the roses. These, indeed, may be said 
to set the pace for the garden pests, for, first or last, 
nearly all those which make life a burden for the 
gardener make their initial appearance in the rose 
bed. 

The aphis first appears as a fly, a tiny, and, under 
the microscope, a beautiful creature of gauzy wing 
and slender body. In some species of aphis eggs 

208 



PLANT ENEMIES AND INSECTICIDES 209 

are laid by this winged female, which in turn hatch 
into other egg-laying creatures. In some cases the 
young produced in the first few broods are viviperous, 
that is, they are produced alive, a complete insect 
and only the last brood of the season are produced 
from eggs which remain in crevices of the bark of 
the plant until the following spring, when they hatch, 
producing the winged female of the first appearance. 
The result, as far as the plants are concerned, is the 
same, the rapid destruction of the foliage and serious 
injury of the plant. There are several remedies which 
may be resorted to, both as remedial and as preventive 
measures. Tobacco dust sprinkled over the young 
shoots before the leaves develop will often keep them 
in check. The hot-water bath is effective after they 
have gained a foot-hold, and where the bushes are of 
sufficient size to be dipped into a basin of hot water, 
forms one of the most effectual and satisfactory reme- 
dies used. In using water for dipping it should not 
exceed one hundred and thirty-five degrees in heat, 
a somewhat higher temperature being practicable 
when used as a spray. Plants can stand a hot water 
bath which is death to all soft bodied insects. Kero- 
sene emulsion, if care is taken not to use it of suffi- 
cient strength to burn the foliage, is usually efficient 
on all but the gray lice; for this variety of louse I 
have found nothing really fatal. They infest my 
honeysuckle and defy all the insecticides I can bring 



210 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

to bear upon them. I tliink they are some special 
breed sent to keep me humble. 

Rose slug — small green caterpillars which feed on 
the underside of the leaves or draw two leaves to- 
gether as a shelter while they eat out the buds from 
the tips of the shoots — are usually the next pest to 
put in an appearance. These may be destroyed by 
hand-picking or by spraying the underside of the 
leaves with whale oil solution, or dusting with helle- 
bore when the foliage is damp. 

Rose thrips are more troublesome than any other 
insect, as they leave the plant at the least disturb- 
ance, returning when all is quiet to complete their 
work. Whale oil soap syringed on the underside of 
the leaves is the best remedy. Readana sprayed on 
and under the foliage at intervals of a few days for 
two or three applications will usually remove them 
for the season. 

Red spider, which affects all hard wooded plants at 
times, can only be kept at bay by a moist atmosphere, 
as this particular insect thrives in a dry, hot atmos- 
phere, but once it has gotten a foothold, there is no 
better remedy than the hot water bath. Spraying 
with Fir Tree oil is also effectual. 

Aster beetles are quite sure to put in an appear- 
ance as soon as the flowers show bloom. The prac- 
tical remedy here and in the case of rose bugs, is 
hand picking. These bugs are sluggish insects and if 



PLANT ENEMIES AND INSECTICIDES 211 

they are picked and dropped in a pan of water con- 
taining a little kerosene, early in the morning, when 
they are still sluggish, they will soon be disposed of. 
Where this is considered too tedious the plants may 
be sprayed with either Paris green solution or ar- 
senate of lead. 

Mildew on roses, sweet peas and other flowers is 
usually controlled by shaking flour of sulphur over 
the plants when they are wet with dew. In hot, 
muggy weather one should not water late in the 
afternoon plants inclined to mildew. All fungoid 
diseases indicated by the browning or spotting of the 
foliage should be handled with a spray of Bordeaux 
mixture, getting the wash onto every part of the plant 
and repeating two or three times in the season. 
Eoses, hollyhock, clematis, foxgloves and many other 
plants are subject to various fungoid diseases and it 
is a good plan to spray all plants known to be suscep- 
tible before the blight appears. 

Aquilegias, asters, cosmos and dahlias are much 
troubled with a little worm which invades the stalk 
just below the surface of the soil. In the ease of the 
aquilegia this is a little pink worm about half an 
inch long which excavates a nest in the crown of the 
plant where it changes into a chrysalid and takes 
its winter nap. Its presence is first detected by the 
wilting of the top of the plant when it is usually too 
late to save the plant. If the plant is taken hold of 



212 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

by the top it will often come entirely away, revealing 
the worm and its nest. Sometimes there is sufficient 
growth about the lower side of the crown to supply 
a new plant and it is only necessary to destroy the 
worm. When the plant has just begun to wilt if 
the entrance hole of the worm is found and a sharp 
wire or hairpin introduced, the worm can be found 
and killed and often the plant will recover. The 
earth should always be drawn up above the wound. 
The treatment is the same for all plants affected with 
borers and the preventive measure is to pour Paris 
green solution about the roots of the plants at inter- 
vals from the time they are set until fully grown. 

Where asters have been affected with what is known 
as the ^* aster disease '^ they should not be planted in 
the same ground again for two or three years. 

In treating plants for insects of any and all kinds 
it may be simplified by remembering that for all 
bugs, worms or lice which eat the plants Paris green 
or arsenate of lead is the standard remedy, but that 
these insecticides are powerless against those which 
do not eat the tissue of the plants but merely suck 
their juice. For these and all soft bodied pests, 
kerosene emulsion is the remedy ; this and hot water. 
For all hard shelled beetles and scale the caustic 
washes like whale oil, caustic potash, lime sulphur 
solution and the like are best. 

While formulas are given for the preparation of all 



PLANT ENEMIES AND INSECTICIDES 213 

insecticides it will be much easier for the amateur 
to buy the various preparations on the market and 
use according to directions. 

Kerosene emulsion paste, ready to use by adding 
water, and Bordeaux mixture and lime sulphur wash 
are especially handy to use and save a tedious prep- 
aration, 

INSECTICIDES 

Paris Green. Use 1 pound with an equal amount 
of thoroughly slaked lime in from 100 to 300 gallons 
of water and keep thoroughly stirred when using. 

Arsenate of Lead. Use the prepared paste form 
at the rate of one pound to fifty gallons of water. 

Kerosene Emulsion. Dissolve one-half pound of 
soap in one gallon of boiling water, add two gallons 
of kerosene and force through a force pump re- 
peatedly until it forms a milk-like emulsion. Add 
twent3^-five gallons of water and use. If allowed to 
stand for any length of time it must be re-churned 
with the pump, as the oil will have separated some- 
what from the water. Use rain water for mixing. 
Where it is necessary to use hard water, milk should 
be substituted for the soap, using one gallon of milk 
to two of kerosene or substitute quarts for gallons in 
small gardens. 

Combined Insecticide and Fungicide. Mix four 
ounces Paris Green or one pound of Arsenate of Lead 



214 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

with fifty gallons of Bordeaux mixture and use for 
spraying rose bushes, and all plants addicted to fun- 
goid disease and the attacks of leaf-eating insects. 
In using Bordeaux it is best to buy the commercial 
preparation. 

Hellebore. — Mix thoroughly one ounce of fresh 
white hellebore and three gallons of water. 

These few formulas if persistently used will be 
sufficient to keep the garden free from insects of 
all kinds but must be used in season to be of value. 

Wood alcohol, used in full strength with an at- 
omizer, is another very effectual insecticide for any 
insect with which it comes in contact and is espe- 
cially valuable in the rose garden. It has the ad- 
vantage of being convenient to use, as the atomizer 
can be kept in one's garden basket or even slipped 
in the pocket and so be at hand to use when one 
notices the presence of insects on the plants. 



CHAPTER XXI 

THE VALUE OF A DEFINITE COLOR SCHEME IN THE GzVRDEN 

The idea which seems to prevail in most gardens is 
to fill it with flowers and still more flowers, adding 
whatever caprice of the moment dictates or whatever 
novelty happens to strike the fancy from time to 
time. The color relations which these new additions 
may bear to the old inhabitants of the garden is ap- 
parently little thought of, if indeed it ever occurs 
to the owner of the garden that as long as a flower is 
a flower and has individual merit there can be any 
possible objection to its presence; in fact, with the 
average gardener, it seems really to be a matter of 
pride to possess as many varieties of plants as pos- 
sible. But one has not learned the true art of garden- 
ing until one learns to hold his hand and to go slowly 
when adding to a garden's store. 

Especially is this true when the garden, as it ex- 
ists, is a happy expression of color and beauty. It 
is a safe conclusion that the average garden should 
be subtracted from rather than added to. If the 
garden, in its entirety is the result of carefully 

215 



216 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

thought out plans then there is little need of caution, 
as the owner is not apt to run amuck among strange 
flowers of unknown colors, but even here it is well 
to pause and consider whether it is not well to let 
well enough alone; at least one should always take 
the precaution of informing himself as to just the 
color and shade of all new introductions to the garden. 
A trial garden is perhaps the most valuable posses- 
sion a gardener can have. Here plants may be grown 
experimentally, and transferred to the permanent 
garden as they prove their fitness, and given just 
the conditions and environment that will bring out 
their good points to perfection. 

To emphasize the value of a color scheme one has 
but to think of various inharmonious colors and imag- 
ine them together, not for one day or for several 
but for the entire season of their bloom, through a 
succession of years. It is not bad color work that 
a number of colors should occur in any one garden 
but it is bad work when several tones of a color* 
clash. As an example, blue and red may appear in 
the same garden with much less discord than scarlet 
and magenta. If one has no color scheme and is at 
a loss to invent one a visit to the milliner's and the 
massing together of quantities of flowers will very 
soon demonstrate how much better the effect of the 
proximity of certain colors is than of others, and 
having determined this one may lay plans accord- 



A COLOR SCHEME IN THE GARDEN 217 

ingly. When one desires a great diversity of color 
then one must remember that white is a great peace- 
maker and intersperse white flowers liberally between 
any shades that have the least taint of enmity. 

It is seldom the case that one needs to discard 
a favorite flower because of an inharmonious shade, 
as nearly all flowers come in a wide diversity of 
colors and tones and among these one may select a 
suitable one. 

Where one is uncertain as to what to use or what 
he really wishes in color the adoption of some one 
color — ^say, yellow — with white will produce a charm- 
ing color effect to which another year, if one's taste 
has sufficiently crystallized, one may add another 
color, say, blue or pink, and have a color scheme that 
should be satisfying in the extreme. But the use of 
one color in a garden is a fascinating development of 
color work and through its adoption one learns much 
of the possibilities along these lines, makes the ac- 
quaintance of many heretofore unknown members of 
old families of flowers and finds it altogether a de- 
lightful study. 

Or one may have a definite color scheme for each 
season of the year — spring, fall — and fill the early 
garden with masses of brilliant colored tulips of the 
desired color — scarlet or soft pink — with hyacinths to 
correspond and the white of crocus and other bulbs, 
while the summer garden may be emphasized with 



S18 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

blue of iris, delphiniums, monkshood, forget-me-nots, 
anehusas, blue pansies, bachelor buttons, browallias, 
lobelias and the like, and the fall garden may be 
gorgeous with the yellow and white of chrysanthe- 
mums, dahlias and golden glow. 

It will be found immensely interesting to take the 
catalogues and make a list of all the flowers of a 
certain color, together with their time of blooming. 
It will be found, for instance, that there are a great 
many more blue flowers than one supposed, and the 
same is true of the other colors, so that if one has 
a preference for certain colors he will be surprised to 
find how liberally the florists are catering to that 
preference. 

A garden which has several divisions or is cut up 
by shrubbery, arbors or hedges offers admirable op- 
portunity for color work, as the separate parts can 
be devoted to separate color schemes rather than to 
separate flowers. This would add immensely to the 
interest of a garden and is worthy of serious consid- 
eration in planning a new garden. 

There is another arrangement of a color scheme 
which might appeal to some, and that is the shading 
of beds and borders of plants. This requires a thor- 
ough knowledge of the shades of color of the flowers 
employed or the aid of an experienced florist, but 
very pretty effects can doubtless be obtained by the 
use of flowers of a given color shaded from the palest 



A COLOR SCHEME IN THE GARDEN 219 

tints down to the strongest tones obtainable. Pansies 
afford an excellent opportunity for this form of 
planting and delphiniums another, as these shade 
from purest white and pale blue down to the strong- 
est ultramarine. Roses give an infinity of shade 
gradations and some very successful color rchemes 
may be worked out with this flower. Where one has 
the knack of so growing roses that they will give a 
mass of bloom at one time the rose garden laid out 
in concentric beds, surrounding a central bed of 
tree roses is excellent, the roses shading from a rich, 
dark crimson of the center trees down through suc- 
cessive shades to pale pink or pure white, as the 
case may be, at the outer edge. Or the center may 
be white, shading to dark red at the outer circle. 

Often it will be found necessary to employ more 
than one variety of flowers to produce the desired 
color gradation but this only adds to the interest and 
tests one's knowledge of flowers or adds immensely 
to it. 

There is another point to be borne in mind in plan- 
ning the color effects of the garden and that is the 
effect color has on the apparent dimensions of the 
garden. The presence of white always brings the 
planting nearer the eye, while blue retires it so that 
where the effect of space is to be increased, as in 
small gardens, it will be wise to plant the white and 
bright colors near the front of the garden using such 



220 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

colors as lavender, mauves and especially blues for 
the rear beds, as this will make them appear farther 
away and so increase the apparent dimensions. 

Again, if one wishes to enjoy the novelty of a gar- 
den of one color for a single season one may plant 
as many different plants of the desired color as are 
available and so form a wide working acquaintance 
with the possibilities of that color and if, at the end 
of the season, one finds that interest flags or that so 
much of one color has become oppressive, then those 
plants which least appeal to one's interest or taste 
may be discarded and their place filled with white or 
some other harmonizing color. It is rarely that one 
will wish to discard a really good perennial, nor will 
one easily tire of any good white, and white is the 
one color that one can take long chances with — it 
seldom needs uprooting to keep the garden peace. 

If one has room for experimental beds or borders 
where flowers of one color can be grown for two or 
more seasons — so that the perennials may have time 
to express themselves — then the best of these may, 
in time, find their way to the permanent garden either 
to form a one-color scheme or to add their color note 
to the mixed garden. 



A COLOR SCHEME IN THE GARDEN 221 

PLANTING TABLE FOR BLUE GARDEN 

NAME SEASON HEIGHT CLASS 

Aconitum Napellus June-July 3' - 5' Perennial 

Ageratum — " Little blue star "... All summer 4"- 5" Annual 

*'Blue perfection" All summer 4"- 8" Annual 

"Princess Pauline" All summer 8" Annual 

Anchusa italica May- June 3' - 5' Perennial 

Aquilegia ccerulea July 2' Perennial 

Browallia, speciosa major Mid-summer and 

fall ' ' 2' Perennial 

Brachycome All summer 9"- 1' Annual 

Caryopteris Sept.-frost 3' Perennial 

Canterbury bell June- Aug. 6"- 5' Perennial 

Cornflower, cyanus July-Sept. 2' - 3' Perennial 

Convolvulus All summer 20' vine Annual 

Dwarf convolvulus All summer 1' Annual 

Japanese convolvulus, juno. . .All summer 20' -30' Annual 

Eryngium July and Sept. 2' - 3' Perennial 

Echinops ritro July-Sept. ' 2' - 3' Perennial 

Gentian Aug. 2' Perennial 

Lavender July- Aug. 2' Perennial 

Lindelofia May 2' Perennial 

Linum All summer 2' Perennial 

Lithospernum April-Sept. Creeping Perennial 

Larkspur July-frost 2' - 3' Annual 

Lupin May- June 18" Perennial 

Lobelia June-Nov. 6"-15" Perennial 

Maurandia July-frost 10' Perennial 

Myosotis May-Oct. 9"-10" Annual 

Platycodon July-Aug. 18" Perennial 

Salvias — ^Azurea Aug.-Sept. , 3' - 4' Annual 

Pitcheri Aug.-Sept. 3' - 4' Perennial 

Uliginosa June-frost 5' - 6' Perennial 

Virgata June-July j 18" Perennial 

Stokesias July-frost 18" Perennial 

Violas June-frost 6"- 9" Perennial 



PLANTING TABLE FOR RED GARDEN 

NAME SEASON HEIGHT VARIETY 

Agrostemma — Flos Jovis June-July 12" Perennial 

Coronaria June-July 2' - 3' Perennial 

Amaranthus — Cordatus June-July 3' - 5' Annual 

Cruentus Jime-July 3' Annual 

Antirrhinum.tall July-Sept, 3' Annual 

Half -dwarf July-Sept. 18" Annual 

Armeria Formosa All summer 12" Perennial 

Asters, in variety Aug.-Oct. 18"- 2' Annual 

Althea — " Duchess de Brabant ".Sept.-Oct. 12' -15' Perennial 

" Rubis" Sept.-Oct. 12' -15' Perennial 

Anemone — Japonica rubra Sept.-Oct. 2' - 3' Perennial 

*' Prince Henry " Sept.-Oct. 2' - 3' Perennial 

Aubretia Leichtfini May- June Dwarf Perennial 

Balsam All svunmer 18"- 2' Annual 

Begonia Erfordia All summer 12"-15" Annual 

Luminosa, Vernon All summer 12"-15" Annual 

Candytuft June 1' Annual 

Cardinal climber July-frost 30' Annual 



222 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

PLANTING TABLE FOR RED GARDEN (Continued) 

NAME SEASON HEIGHT VARIETY 

Carnation, Marguerite Aug.-fro3t 12"-18" Perennial 

Celosia, plumed July 2J^'-3' Annual 

Centaureas, Sweet Sultans June 2' Annual 

Cercis Canadensis April 12' -15' Perennial 

Cornus rubra ]May 12' -15' shrub Perennial 

Clarkia— "Brilliant" July-Aug. 2' -214' 

"Scarlet Queen" July-Aug. 2' -2I2' Annual 

Cypress vine July-Oot. 15' Annual 

Cosmos Sept.-Oct. 4' - 6' Annual 

Chrysanthemum, hardy Sept.-Nov. 2'- 23^' Perennial 

Clematis — Montana rubeus April-May Vine Perennial 

, Coccinea June-frost Vine Perennial 

Daphne'Gneorum May 6"- 8" Perennial 

Dianthus — "Fireball" All summer 1' Biennial 

Latifolius atrococcineus fl. pi.. All summer 18" Perennial 

Goum All summer 2' Perennial 

Hollyhock July-Aug. 5' - 6' Perennial 

Impatiens Sultana All summer 2' Annual 

Lobelia cardinalis Aug.-Sept. 2' - 3' Perennial 

Lychnis June- July 2' - 3' Perennial 

Lathyrus All summer 8' -10' vine Perennial 

Lonicera Ledebourii May 4' - 6' Perennial 

Nasturtium All summer 6' -10' Annual 

Petunia, brilliant All summer 15" Annual 

Phlox— "Geo. A. Strohlein" Au^.-Sept. 2' - 3' Perennial 

"Prof. Vircho" Aug.-Sept. 2' - 3' Perennial 

"Tragedie" Aug.-Sept. 2' - 3' Perennial 

Phlox Drummondi .AH summer 15" Annual 

Pentstemon, barbatus torreyi. . .June- Aug. 3' - 4' Perennial 

Poppy, Goliath Oriental June 18" Perennial 

Potentilla June-Aug. 18" Perennial 

PjTus Japonica May 3' - 6' Perennial 

Rhododendron June 3' - 6' Perennial 

Salvia July-frost 3' - 5' Annual 

Scarlet runner bean All summer Vine Annual 

Stock—" Blood Red " July-frost 18"- 2' Annual 

"Crimson King" 18"- 2' Annual 

Sweet William Mid-summer to 

frost 18"- 2' Perennial 

Tritoma Sept.-frost 2' - 3' Perennial 

WaUflower, Goliath May 18" Annual 

Weigelia, Eva Rathke All summer 4' - 5' Perennial 

Zinnia — "Red Riding Hood". . .All summer 2' Annual 

Dark Scarlet All summer 2' Annual 

Bright Scarlet All summer 2' Annual 



PLANTING TABLE FOR WHITE GARDEN 

NAME SEASON HEIGHT VARIETY 

Antirrhinum — Giant white July-Nov. 3' Annual 

" Mount Blanc" July-Nov. 18"-3' Annual 

Adlumia cirrhosa July 18" Biennial 

Achillea Ptarmira All summer 2' Perennial 

AcrocUnium Napellus All summer 15" Annual 

Ageratum, Imperial dwarf white. All summer 8" Annual 

Alyssum, Little Gem All summer 4" Annual 



A COLOR SCHEME IN THE GARDEN 223 



PLANTING TABLE FOR WHITE GARDEN (Continued) 

NAME SEASON HEIGHT VARIETY 

Aquilegia alba June-July 18" Perennial 

Arabia alpina. April 6" Perennial 

Asters, id variety. .... July-Oct. 18" Annual 

Anemone — Japomca alba Sept.-Oct. 2' - 3' Perennial 

'• Whirlwind 'V, . Sept.-Oct. 2' - 3' Perennial 

Antnencum — Liliastrum gigan- 

teuni . . May 18" Perennial 

Armena alba AU summer 9" Perennial 

Astilbe, white pearl June- July 21"- 2' Perennial 

Althea, Jeanne d Arc. Sept.-Oct. 12' -15' Perennial 

Andromeda — Flonbunda May 2' - 4' Perennial 

Japonica May 4' - 6' Perennial 

Araha spinosa ... Aug. 12' -15' Perennial 

Azalea Japomca alba May- June 2' Perennial 

Balsam, white perfection July-Aug. 18"- 2' Annual 

Boccoma cordnta July-Aug. 5' Perennial 

Boltoma asteroides . July-Sept. 4' - 6' Perennial 

aelhs (bngh.sh daisy) All summer 4"- 6" Perennial 

Calendula, pongei fl. pi Late summer and 

/- . ,. ^ „ ^^11 1' Annual 

Canterbury bell July 3' Perennial 

Campanula carpataca All summer 6' Perennial 

Cornflower All summer 2' Annual 

Candytuft, Empress All summer 9" Annual 

Chrysanthemum — 

.'.' ^^^^ Edward " Fall 2' Perennial 

Inodorum Mid-summer to 

eu . T^ • », , ^^°^^ 2' Perennial 

Shasta Daisy, Alaska July-Oct. 15"-18" Perennial 

Clarkia alba fl. pi June-July 2"-30" Annual 

Cleome alba July-Aug. 3 14' Annual 

Cosmos, Lady Lenox Sept. 4' - 6' Annual 

Convalleria (Lily of Valley) May " 9" Perennial 

Ctuonanthus June 6' - 8' Perennial 

Clethra . . July-Aug. 4' - 5' Perennial 

Cratsgus Oxyacantha May 12' -15' Perennial 

Clematis — Paniculata Sept. Vine Perennial 

Montana grandiflora April-May 20' vine Perennial 

Virginiana Aug. 20' Perennial 

Recta fl. pi. June- July 2' - 3' Perennial 

Delphinium album July-Sept. 18' - 2' Perennial 

Digitahs June-July 3' Perennial 

Datura (Brugmansia) Late summer 3' - 5' Perennial 

Deutzias, m variety June 5' - 6' Perennial 

Hibiscus, Crimson Eye July-Aug. 4' - 5' Perennial 

HoUyhock . . . July-Aug. 5' - 6' Perennial 

Ipomea — Grandiflora" June-frost 20' Annual 

^ 'Japanese-Aphrodite" July-frost 30' Annual 

Iris, in variety June-July 2' - 3' Perennial 

Lobeha, white gem June-Nov 6" Annual 

Lupine. . . . May- June 2' Perennial 

Lihum — Candidum June 2' - 3' Perennial 

Auratum. . . July 3' - 4' Perennial 

Speciosum album Jvdy 2' Perennial 

Lilac— Vulgaris alba May 6' -12' Perennial 

Mme. Cassimir Perier" May-June 6' - S' Perennial 

Ligustrum Ibota" (Jap. 

Privet) June- July 6' - 8' Perennial 



2M MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

PLANTING :TABLE FOR WHITE GARDEN (Continued) 

NAME SEASON HEIGHT VARIETY 

Lonicera (Bush Honeysuckle) — 

Morrowi May 6' Perennial 

Tartarica June 6' Perennial 

Lathyrus, White Pearl All summer 8' -10' Perennial 

Nicotiana afBnis All summer 2' - 3' Annual 

Pansy — "Giant Snow Queen".. .AH summer 9" Perennial 

"Giant Snow White" AU summer 9" Perennial 

Petunia — Snow Ball All summer 12" Annual 

Pure White _. All summer 12"-15" Annual 

Phlox Drummondi All summer 9" Annual 

Phlox amoena April-May 4" Perennial 

Subulata alba April-June 4" Perennial 

"Diadem" July-Sept. 1' Perennial 

" Mrs. Jenkins" July-Sept. 3' Perennial 

"Jeanne d'Arc" July-Sept. 2J^' Perennial 

Physoategia alba Mid-summer 4' - 6' Perennial 

Platycodon July 2' - 2K' Perennial 

Polygonum auberti Late summer and 

fall 15' Perennial 

Pyrethrum uliginosura stellata . . Aug.-Sept. 2' Perennial 

Philadelphus June 6' - 8' Perennial 

Rodgersia All summer 3' - 4' Perennial 

Schizophragma hydrangeoides. .. June-July 12' -15' Perennial 

Stenanthiun Aug.-Sept. 4' - 5' Perennial 

Spiraea — Aruncus June-July 3' - 6' Perennial 

FiUpendula June 15" Perennial 

Ulmaria June-July 3' - 4' Perennial 

Stokesia Sept. 18" Perennial 

Thalictrum dipterocarpum Aug.-Sept. 4' Perennial 



PLANTING TABLE FOR YELLOW GARDEN 

NAME SEASON HEIGHT CLASS 

Alyssum, Golden Saxatile May 1' Perennial 

Antirrhinum, "Golden Queen". .July-Nov. 18"- 2H' Annual 

Argemone July 3' Perennial 

Aquilegia chrysantha May- July 2' -234' Perennial 

Anthemis tinctoria All summer 15" Perennial 

Asphodelus luteus July 3' Perennial 

Baptisia tinctoria June 2' Perennial 

Balsam July 2' Annual 

Canary Bird Vine AU summer 6' - 8' Annual 

Calendula — Pure Gold All summer 1' Annual 

"Double Sulphur" 

Callirhoe All summer 9"-12" Perennial 

Caltha May 1' Perennial 

Celosia plumosa July- Aug. 2' - 234' Annual 

Chrysanthemum segetum July-Sept. 3' Annual 

Pompon Late fall. 2' Perennial 

Coreopsis June-frost 2' Perennial 

Cosmos, Klondyke Sept.-Oct. 4' - 6' Annual 

Cephalaria June-July 6' Perennial 

Chamaelirium June 2' Perennial 

Corchorus June-Oct. 6' - 8' Perennial 

Dimorphotheca All summer 12' -15' Perennial 

Doronicom May 1' - 3' Perennial 



A COLOR SCHEME IN THE GARDEN 225 



PLANTING TABLE FOR YELLOW 
NAME SEASON 

Eschscholtzia All summer 

Erysimum All summer 

Epimedium sulphurum All summer 

Helianthus, in variety June-frost 

Hollyhock July 

Hunnemannia July 

Hemerocallis May-July 

Heliopsis Aug.-Oct. 

Hypericum All summer 

Ins — Ochroleuca May 

Aurea May 

Pseudacorua June 

Marigold. . . July-Aug. 

Lysimachia — Ciliata July 

Punctata Aug. 

Portulaca All summer 

Rudbeckia fulgida Aug.-Sept. 

Ranunculus May-June 

Sanvitalia All summer 

Stock. July-frost 

Senecio — Veitchianus July-Aug. 

Clivorum July-Aug. 

Silphium Aug.-Sept. 

Tagetes AH summer 

Thermopsis June- July 

Thalictrum July-Aug. 

Tritoma sulphurea Aug.-Sept. 

TroUius Europffius May- July 

Viola, Luteu8 Splendens June-frost 

Zinnias June-frost 



GARDEN (Continued) 



HEIGHT 


CLASS 


12"-18" 


Annual 


18" 


Perennial 


8"-10" 


Perennial 


1'- 7' 


Annual 


1'- 7' 


Perennial 


2' 


Annual 


21^'- 5' 


Perennial 


3'- 5' 


Perennial 


2' 


Perennial 


2}i' 


Perennial 


3' 


Perennial 


4' 


Perennial 


18"- 2' 


Annual 


2' 


Perennial 


2'- 3' 


Perennial 


6" 


Annual 


3' 


Perennial 


2' 


Perennial 


6" 


Annual 


12"-15" 


Annual 


2' 


Perennial 


3' 


Perennial 


6'- 8' 


Perennial 


1' 


Annual 


3' 


Perennial 


3'- 4' 


Perennial 


21^' 


Perennial 


2' 


Perennial 


6"- 9" 


Perennial 


.12"-18" 


Annual 



CHAPTER XXII 

BIRD HOUSES, NATATOEIUMS AND FEEDING STATIONS 

Few things add so charmingly to the interest of 
the home grounds as the presence of birds, especially 
those more attractive species that require some spe- 
cial provision for their comfort in the way of nesting 
places, abundant food supply and the presence of 
water for drinking and bathing, and all in a position 
that insures a moderate degree of safety for their 
enjoyment. 

The robin, the blue jaj^ the cat bird and the Eng- 
lish sparrow we have with us always. The flicker or 
high-holer (or any one of the friendly, intimate names 
by which this big fellow of the woodpecker family 
is known) is common on most lawns. The mourning 
dove, that most exquisite member of the family, is 
common wherever trees for the construction of its 
slovenly-built nest grow — usually a pear tree or an 
evergreen will be its choice — while the oriole hangs 
its pensile nest from the outermost tips of the maple 
trees. But the little house wren, the bluebird and 
the martin will not make their homes with us unless 

226 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS 227 

suitable domiciles are provided for their occupancy 
and these must be in position early in the spring, 
before the return of the birds. That, in the case of 
the bluebird, will be any time in March, so that the 
houses should be up by the end of February. Mar- 
tins come later and once supplied with an acceptable 
house will return year after year to the same abode. 

Unlike the bluebird they are not driven away by 
the sparrows, paying absolutely no attention to their 
attacks. A pair of martins came the past summer to 
a five-room house on my lawn which was intended 
for bluebirds, but these had been driven away by 
the sparrows. The martins tried to gain entrance 
through the small openings; the sparrows attacked 
them vigorously but the martins never even turned 
their heads to look at them and only left when they 
found the entrance too small for them. 

Martins require an entrance hole about two inches 
in diameter and the inside diameter should be at 
least the length of the bird — at least six inches square 
or better still six by eight inches — and the house must 
be many roomed, for martins always nest in colonies, 
never singly. Bluebirds will nest singly or in apart- 
ment houses and wrens are solitary or gregarious as 
circumstances decide. Last year wrens and English 
sparrows occupied, quite peacefully, the same house, 
a ten-room structure in an especially inviting position 
between a large mulberry and a big pear tree. One 



228 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

fateful summer a poor little wren, who had, in some 
tragic way, lost his mate, after days of mourning 
and calling for her, made an alliance with a little 
hen-sparrow and set up housekeeping in a box under 
the eaves and I was much surprised the following 
fall to hear some unmistakable wren notes issuing 
from the throat of an undersized little cock-sparrow. 
On examining the nest it was curious to observe how 
the traditions and instincts of each class of birds had 
been adhered to in its construction, the feathers so 
dear to the heart of a sparrow, and the evergreen 
twigs, without which no wren considers its nest com- 
plete, being about equally evident, and the crowning 
touch of a wren's nest — spider eggs, with which he 
always decorates his nest — were much in evidence. 

If one wishes to attract birds to build about the 
lawns and buildings it will be well to know first the 
habits of the different birds; which are terrestrial, 
building in trees and those that are given to nesting 
in boxes, on brackets and in buildings. It is also 
well to consider those that build in brush heaps, as 
the brown thrush, or thrasher, as it is commonly 
called ; those preferring brambles, as the cat bird, and 
indigo bunting, which much affect the blackberry 
bushes; and those choosing ledges in porch and out 
buildings, as, for example, the phoebe. One pair of 
phoebes have had a nest on a stringer in the woodshed 
where I am constantly going in and out. Last year 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS 

the male bird only appeared, and for days haunted 
the shed and porches, even trying persistently to enter 
the windows of the home, apparently in search of 
his lost mate. The little wrens, which for years 
have nested in the many houses provided for them 
about the premises, will always come into the house 
if an opening is found. An aperture in the wall for 
the admission of the hose that feeds a large aquarium, 
always is under observation and if found open insures 
a visit from the wren who will sometimes perch on 
the side of my work basket when I am at work and 
has even been known to perch on an extended finger. 
These domiciliary visits are not encouraged, however, 
for fear he may fall a victim to one of the many 
Persian kittens that claim special residence here. 

The wren is, of all our birds, the most easily pro- 
vided for, as it is not at all fastidious as to the 
quarters provided, and will nest in single or apart- 
ment houses with equal content. A favorite box with 
one pair was a codfish box with the lid shoved on 
and an inch-wide hole cut through near the lower 
corner. Almost any box that is available can be 
fashioned into homes for birds by the use of hammer 
and saw. Take a starch or soap box, for instance. Re- 
move the lid, saving the pieces in as perfect condition 
as possible. Put two partitions through the box, the 
first being a straight piece the length of the box and 
as wide as the inside depth. Then another piece the 



230 IMAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

length of the inside width of the box must be cut and 
a slit sawed half way through the middle and a cor- 
responding slit through the lengthwise piece. This 
allows the two pieces to fit together, dividing the box 
into four compartments. The lid should then be 
nailed in place and an inch hole bored with an auger 
near the lower right hand corner of each compart- 
ment. Two of these may be on the front and one on 
each side of the box, so that one entrance need not 
be directly over another. Under each opening bore 
another small one and fit in this a peg for a lighting 
perch. Each compartment should be large enough 
for the bird to enter and turn around, as the hen 
always sits facing the opening when brooding her 
eggs and fledglings ; this makes for convenience when 
being fed by her mate. 

A roof that will shed water is more desirable than 
a flat surface and this may easily be fashioned by 
cutting two three-cornered or triangular pieces for 
front and back and nailing them in place and attach- 
ing straight sides to these to form the slanting roof. 
Very presentable houses may be constructed in this 
simple way if a little attention is given to detail in 
painting. Green makes a good foundation color for 
box and roof, and the triangular pieces may be striped 
in green and white with white for the perches. Larger 
boxes for martins may be made in the same way, mak- 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS 231 

ing the inside diameter of nests six by six by six with 
the entrance about two inches in diameter. 

Very attractive houses may be made from cheese 
boxes, but are more trouble to construct, owing to the 
difficulty of adjusting the partitions, but they well re- 
pay the extra labor. For a five room bluebird or 
martin house a single cheese box is used and the first 
thing to do is to find a round piece of wood — a bar- 
rel head is just right — for the top and bottom. Find 
the exact center of these and of the cheese box and 
with an inch and a quarter auger cut a hole through 
all four pieces, having them exactly in line. These 
are for the insertion of a piece of wood — a piece of 
a curtain pole is just right — around which the box is 
to be built. Pieces of wood as long as the distance 
from the center hole to the edge of the box and as 
wide as its depth are next fitted into the box and 
nailed with thin brads to sides and bottom. Holes 
are then cut with a very sharp bit near the bottom 
of each compartment — two inches for martins, one 
and three-fourths inches for fly catchers, one and one- 
fourth inches for chickadees, one inch for wrens and 
one and a half inches for Carolina wrens and tree 
swallows. Under each opening place a perch as sug- 
gested for the square boxes, and attach the top and 
bottom to the box. To do this it will be necessary 
to introduce some solid strips of wood, round or 
square, inside the nests, as the thin wood of which 



232 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the cheese boxes are made affords little chance for 
solid work. 

The top and bottom being in place, the ornamental 
part of the house will be next in order. A very- 
pretty finish is made by securing a strip of round 
wood an inch or a trifle more in diameter — a window 
shade roller will do — and saw it into length exactly 
that of the space between the top and bottom boards 
and nail these in place, forming a pillared portico or 
veranda about the house. The window pole is now 
inserted into the holes provided for it and three small 
iron or wooden brackets attached to the part that ex- 
tends above the house, nailing them to the top and to 
the pole, which should have some ornamental heading 
to finish it. Three larger brackets finish the under 
part of the box. The whole should then be given a 
coat of dark green paint — the green used for outside 
window blinds wears best— and the trimming, pil- 
lars, perches, brackets and pole should be painted 
white. The free end of the pole should then be 
fitted into an iron water pipe about eight or ten feet 
long and this set in a socket in the ground. An old 
well cylinder set in concrete makes an excellent socket 
and by this installation the pole can be easily lifted 
out to clean the house each spring. Ten-room houses 
are constructed in the same way by using the double 
cheese boxes, putting in partitions half the depth of 
the box, fitting a round piece of wood over these and 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS 283 

supplying another series of partitions, care being 
taken that the openings alternate, no one being over 
another. This style of house will prove very accept- 
able to martins and birds which dwell in colonies. 

Often one has in his possession old-fashioned 
wooden clocks which have long since ceased to be of 
service and have been relegated to the garret. These 
make excellent wren houses, as it is only necessary 
to remove the works^ insert partitions and supply en- 
trances, and give a coat of weather-proof paint and 
erect them in some convenient position under the roof 
of the porch or on the trunk of a tree. Once one 
has formed the bird house habit it is surprising how 
many things one finds adaptable. Small kegs, with a 
thatched roof, may be suspended from the limbs of 
a tree and one of the prettiest houses I have seen was 
made from a candy pail with a barrel head for a bot- 
tom and a peaked thatched roof, all erected on a 
pole and giving house room to a number of families 
of wrens. In putting up houses on trees it is usually 
most convenient to drill a hole in the back, near the 
top, and driving a spike in a tree hang the house on 
that. This does Very well if the proximity of limbs 
afford a little support so that there is no danger of 
its being blown down. .A more secure way is to nail 
a strip of board to the back of the box, letting it 
extend two or three inches beyond the box, and nail 



g34 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

through this into the tree. Thus adjusted it will be 
secure against almost any wind. 

Cheese boxes have not served their full duty when 
used exclusively for nests, for they make excellent 
feeding stations for the winter birds. For this pur- 
pose I like two lids, separated by three pieces of 
curtain pole about ten inches long, the upper, of 
course, turned downward and the lower up. They 
should be nailed to the top of a post at a convenient 
place for filling and will be found well patronized 
by the birds. Grain, bread crumbs, weed seeds, — 
any food suitable for small birds, — may be used to 
attract them. For the larger birds, like jays, rose 
breasted grossbeaks and cardinals, the spiked feeding 
stations are desirable. These may be simply a block 
of wood with a spike driven through it nailed to a 
convenient post or tree and an ear of corn impaled on 
the spike. A chunk of bread or of suet will attract 
any of the woodpecker family. Such a station in view 
of my dining room window has for several summers 
been full of interest from the regular visits of a pair 
of red-headed woodpeckers which feed and carry por- 
tions of food to their nest in a tree across the street 
and as soon as the young are large enough to fly 
bring them to feed also. A piece of wood a foot or 
fifteen inches long and about nine inches wide is 
pointed at each end and two pieces of board about 
eight inches long and five wide are nailed to the 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS 235 

two top sides to form a roof. About two-thirds of 
the distance from the top a square of wood with a 
spike nailed through from the back is nailed and a 
perch, consisting of a bit of tree branch, is nailed 
beneath for the accommodation of the woodpeckers. 
The jays usually stand on the com or spike to eat, 
but woodpeckers eat from below up. Most feeding 
stations and houses attached to trees are more sat- 
isfactory if painted an inconspicuous green or gray. 
The sliding cars which run on wires and so afford no 
footing for cats or squirrels are other satisfactory 
structures, easily made b}^ any one handy with tools. 
These are usually about a foot long by six inches 
wide and have pointed ends about nine inches high 
which support two roof boards. A narrow ledge is 
put along the open sides to prevent the food spilling 
out and a wire is run, through a hole in the end ga- 
bles, from tree to tree or from other supports — the 
end of a porch and a tree being convenient. A cord 
attached to the car and running over a pulley on the 
tree will allow the car to be drawn up to the porch 
to be filled and then slid back along the wire until 
far enough from the house to give confidence to the 
birds when first they begin to use it. 

In the summer the water supply is more important 
than food, as the birds will be able to forage for 
themselves and seldom affect localities lacking in nat- 
ural food, but much may be done to furnish a supply 



236 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

of such food as is especially acceptable to birds by 
planting trees, shrubs and grains that will attract 
them. No one tree can be planted that will attract 
so wide a variety of birds as the Russian mulberry. 
From the time the first fruit begins to redden in 
June until sometime in September the trees will be 
alive with a surprising variety of birds and many of 
the early spring migrant birds will visit the trees for 
insects they find on the twigs and the seeds of the 
berries which they gather from the ground. Last 
spring a large flock of juncos stayed about the trees 
several weeks, scratching over every foot of the 
ground in search of food and so tame were they that 
they paid little attention to my presence, scratching 
away, with both feet at once, within a yard of me. 
Mountain ash attracts many migrant birds and the 
trees are seldom without birds as long as a berry 
remains. Where mulberries are planted little if any 
damage is done to other fruit, as the birds much pre- 
fer them and many fruit growers plant them for 
protection. The following list of shrubs, trees and 
vines which attract birds will be suggestive, as some, 
or all of them, may be found growing wild in one's 
vicinity and may be easily transplanted to one's door 
yard. 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS 237 



Trees. 
Eussian mulberry 
Dogwood 
Wild sand cherry 
Black cherry 
Choke cherry 
Hack berry 
Box elder 
White thorn 
White ash 
Mountain ash 
European ash 
Balsam fir 
Eed cedar 
White spruce 
Hemlock 

Pitch, white and 
Norway pine 



Shrubs. 
Elders 
Raspberries 
Blackberries 
Sumacs 

Juniper berries 
Service berries 
Holly berries 
Huckleberries 
Spice bush 
Haws 

Snow berries 
Shad bush 
Fever bush 
Barberry 
Cornels 
Dangleberries 
Black alder 
Privet 
Choke berry 
Buckthorn 
Swamp gooseberry 
Wild rose 
Thimbleberry 
Indian currant 
Arrow wood 
Sheep berry 
High bush cran- 
• berry 



Vines. 
Wild grape 
Virginia creeper 
Bitter sweet 
Moonseed 
Matrimony vine 
Clematis 

Honeysuckle vine 
Trumpet vine 

Plant 

Sarsaparilla 

Buckwheat 

Sunflower 

Japanese millet 

Poke berry 

Wild rice 

Hemp 

Oats 

Clover 



Sunflowers are especially interesting things to grow, 
for, as soon as the seeds begin to ripen, the patch will 
be full of linnets whose pretty little call of * ' See-veet, 
see-veet" can be heard all day long and if one goes 
quietly down among the tall rows of sunflowers they 
can be approached within two or three feet, and if 
alarmed will only retreat to a near-by flower. Often 
I have called and been answered, as their note is one 
of the easiest to imitate. At this season of the year 



MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

the linnet is rather shabby in his old summer suit 
and is more intent in filling his little crop with the 
fattening seeds than in his personal appearance, but 
he is a very attractive and engaging little acquaint- 
ance at any time. A clover field is a joy indeed when 
it brings, in early May, the gay little bobolink, and 
if there is a brush heap or low tree close by where 
he may light and pour out his soul in song one may 
well begrudge any duty that calls one away from his 
immediate vicinity. 

But to return to the question of water. Water for 
drinking must be available, of course, but water for 
bathing is just as necessary and bird baths should 
be scattered about the lawns and gardens, wherever 
they will be convenient and safe for use. They should 
always be placed near a tree or other resting place 
easily reached, for the bird cannot fly far when wet 
and in such condition is an easy prey for cats. A 
bath placed on a pedestal with a wire stretched above 
it a few feet from the ground is excellent. A tall 
stump with hollow top fitted with a large hanging 
basket of earthen ware, the drainage holes plugged 
and a perch fixed half way down the basin for the 
accommodation of small birds that could not bathe in 
the deep water, had a wire stretched from a corner 
of a porch to a fence some distance away and was 
so popular with the birds that there was never an 
hour of the day that did not see the wire covered with 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS 239 

birds of all sorts waiting for a chance to bathe. 
Large trees nearby added security and shade. A wire 
nest, such as is used in poultry houses, is sunk in the 
ground under a windmill tower covered with wire 
netting and roses. The wire nest, given a coat of 
cement and always filled with fresh water from the 
tap, is much loved by brown thrushes, robins and 
other large birds who bathe and fly into the netting 
to dry and preen themselves. I have seen a dozen 
brown thrushes there at one time. The flickers like 
a dish set on the ground under the apple trees. The 
big lily pool, of course, attracts many birds, especially 
the mourning doves, and one memorable day saw 
three blue herons about to make a descent upon its 
placid waters. Fortunately for the welfare of the 
gold fish which, with the frogs, claim the lily pool as 
their especial domain, my presence frightened them 
away, but the presence of herons so far from the 
lake was something unknown before and proved quite 
an exciting episode. 

But one need not depend entirely on houses of 
wood and fountains of concrete and stone for the 
comfort of the birds, for one may grow very com- 
modious nests and baths of gourds with little trou- 
ble and expense, letting nature do the fashioning 
in many quaint and curious forms. Almost every 
need of the birds may be supplied at the expense of 
a few packets of seeds and a little time and labor. 



240 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 

The gourds best adapted for nests are the Turk's 
cap gourds, the calabash, the Hercules' club, and tho 
dipper. The club gourds are long and about five 
inches in diameter and when thoroughly ripe and dry 
should have a hole two inches in diameter cut near 
the upper part of the large portion and the contents 
removed. The gourd should then be attached to the 
side of a tree in the same position a hollow limb 
would naturally occupy. Put a little fine sawdust 
in the bottom for nesting, as that is all the material 
used by the woodpeckers and flickers which use this 
form of nest. The smaller calabashes and the Turk's 
cap should have a hole an inch or an inch and a 
quarter in one side and be fastened up on the top 
of a porch pillar or other sheltered position for wrens 
or chickadees. A larger hole is necessary for blue- 
birds. 

The large calabashes, often fifteen to eighteen 
inches in diameter, when sawed in two make excellent 
natatoriums and feeding dishes, but are not so well 
adapted for nests, as they cannot be divided into 
compartments very well. 

The raising of gourds is a very simple operation, 
providing one has a long season in which to mature 
the fruit. The seed should be started very early in 
the house or hotbed, planting two or three seeds in 
thumb pots plunged in the earth of the hotbed or in 
a box of damp sand in a warm place in the house for 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS S41 

best results. Plant out in a warm, sunny position 
when the nights and soil are warm — not before. They 
must have sufficient support from the start so that 
there will be no setback to their growth and when a 
sufficient number of fertile flowers have set, the 
ends of the vines may be shortened in order to throw 
the strength of the vine into the ripening of the 
fruit. Some seasons it is impossible to get a single 
ripe gourd even on strong, rampant vines, while more 
favorable seasons will give an abundance of fruit, 
but in the warmer sections of the country they should 
be as easily raised as squashes. They should have 
sufficient water at all times and good rich mellow 
soil. They are very fascinating things to raise, be- 
cause there are so many kinds and such curious forms, 
and as when dried they are practicably indestructible, 
one good crop should furnish bird supplies for several 
years. 



242 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 



TABLE OF GERMINATION OF SEEDS 

In the following table it will he noticed that certain flowers appear 
in two or more sections. When this occurs the first section indicates 
the shortest time in which perfectly fresh vigorous seed, planted in 
a warm hotbed or in flats in the house or greenhouse should appear. The 
longer time is required by less vigorous seed sown under less favorable 
conditions and in the open ground. Self-sown seed in the open 
ground will usually not appear until much later than the same seed 
sown in a prepared seed-bed, and weeks later than seed sown in 
hotbed or other protected position. 

FROM 3-5 DAYS 



Ageratum 


Layia elegans 


Sweet William 


Ammobium 


Leptosyne maritima 


Tradescantia 


Asters 


Marigold 


Tri folium 


Celosia 


Mimulus 


Tunica 


Centaurea 


Mina lobata 


Verbascum 


Chrysanthemum 


Salvia 


Veronica 


Cypress Vine 


Sedum 


Virginian stock 


Cosmos 


Silene schafta 


Viscaria 


Calliopsis 


Sphserogyne 


Vittadenia 


Gilla 


Stevia 


Whitlavia 


Hollyhock 


Stock 


Zinnia 


Lavatera 


FROM 5-7 DAYS 




Acacia 


Convovulus 


Gaillardia 


Acroclinium 


Chrysanthemum 


Geranium 


Asters 


Indicum 


Gypsophila 


Amaranthus 


Cineraria 


Hedysarum 


Arabis alpina 


Clitoria 


Hablitzia 


BeUis 


Coleus 


Helenium 


Beta 


Coreopsis 


HeUchrysum 


Brorapton stock 


Crucianella 


Hibiscus 


Bromus 


Cuphea 


Iberis 


Browallia 


Cynoglossom 


Linum 


Calliopsis 


Dahha 


Linaria 


Candytuft 


Dianthus 


Lobelia 


Cannabis 


Daisy 


Lupinus 


Carnations 


Dolichos 


Lychnis 


Centaurea 


Eschscholtzia 


Ice plant 


Cacalia 


Eupatorium 


Malva 


Catchfly 


Gilia 


Matthiola 



BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS MS 



FROM 5-7 DAYS (Continued) 



Mesembryanthernum Nigella 


Scarlet runner 


Mignonette 


Nicotiana 


Salpiglossis 


Morning Glory 


CEnothera 


Schizanthus 


Mirabilis 


Picotee 


Sunflower 


Momordica 


Pinks 


Wall flowers 




FROM 7-8-10 DAYS 


Abutilon 


Commelyna 


Viola 


Achimines 


Deutzia 


Papaver 


Agrostemma 


Digitalis 


Pentstemon 


Antirrhinums 


Dracocephalum 


Petunia 


Armeria 


Erianthus 


PhaceHa 


Abronia 


Gaura 


Phlox Drummondi 


Adonis 


GiUa 


Poinsettia 


Balsams 


Gloxinia 


Potentilla 


Begonias 


Gnaphalium 


Portulaca 


Bartonia 


Hibiscus 


Sweet sultan 


Baloon vine 


Humulus 


Rudbeckia 


Bryonopsis 


Kaulfussia 


Thunbergia 


Clarkia 


Lychnis 


Tropaeolum 


Calceolaria 


Lathyrus 


Valerian 


Canna 


Molina 


Verbena 


Capsicum 


Pansy 


Zea 


Campanula 






, 


FROM 10-12 DAYS 


Achillea 


Calandrina 


Helianthemum 


Alyssum saxatile 


Calonycton 


Linaria 


Artillery plant 


Campanula 


Ipomopsis 


Arctotis grandis 


CHanthus 


Larkspur 


Anchusa 


Cyperus 


Scabiosa 


Aquilegia 


Dicentra 


Scutellaria 


Asphodelus 


Euphorbia 


Silphium 


Aubretia 


Feverfew 


Spiraea 


Bidens 


Galtonia 


Sweet peas 


Blue bells 


Geum 


Xeranthemum 


Brachycome 


Gypsophila 






FROM 12-15 DAYS 


Anemone sylvestris 


Antigonon 


Campanula Tenore 


Achyranthus 


Asters, perennial 


Calandrina 


Acacia 


Calhrhoe 


Datura 



244 MAKING OF A FLOWER GARDEN 
FROM 12-15 DAYS (Continued) 



Didiacus 


Myosotis 


Rieinus 


Delphiniums 


Nicotiana 


Ranunculus 


Gazanopsis 


Nierembergia 


Shasta daisy 


Gourds 


Peas 


Stokesia 


Hunnemania 


Perilla 


Thalictrum 


Lantana 


Petunia, double 


Torenia 


Kudzu vine 


Platycodon 


Verbena venosa 


Mandevillea 


Polemonium 


Vinca 


Maurandia 








FROM 15-20 DAYS 


Acanthus 


Cobaea scandens 


Iris 


Agapanthus 


Cuphaea 


Liatris spicata 


Anemone 


Dictamnus 


Primula sinensis 


Antigonon 


Geranium 


Rivina humihs 


Armeria 


sanguineum 


Smilax, Boston 


Asparagus 


Heliotrope 


Solanum robust um 


Bocconia 


Impatiens sultana 


Passiflora 


Calla 


Hemerocalhs 


Wisteria 




FROM 20-35 DAYS 


Adiumia 


Clematis integrifolia 


Musa ensete 


Clianthus 


Cianthus Dampieri 


Phlox, perennial 


Baptisia australis 


Delphinium 


Phormium 


Berberis vulgaris 


nudicaule 


Physanthus 


Campanula fragilis 


Funkia 


Tritoma uvaria 


Campanula 


Gentiani acaulis 


Yucca 


Leutweiana 


Hibiscus speciosa 


Wild cucumber 


Clematis diversifolia 


Humea elegans 


Cyclamen 


ONE YEAR OR MORE 


Adiumia 


Fuchsias 


Lupinus polyphyllus 


Ampelopsis 


Geranium 


Musa 


Anthericum 


sanguineum 


Tradescantia 


Clematis, in variety 


Iris 


Viola odorata 


Dictamnus 


Lilies 





Iiiiil«^^^^ 




